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PCI  T)  W 

HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION. 


HOUSEHOLD 


CONSECRATION. 


NATHANIEL  E.  JOHNSON, 

PASTOR  OF  THE  THIRD  FREE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,   NEW-VORK. 


NEW-YORK: 

EZRA  COLLIER,  148  NASSAU-STREET. 

West  &  Trow,  Printers. 

1836. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  by  Ezra  Collikb,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-six,  in  the 
Clerk's  office  of  the  Southern  District  of  New- York. 


j7 


^0        ^ 


CONTENTS 


^/ 


Q 


Preface 9 

CHAPTER  I. 

Fundamental  principles.    The  constitution  of  the  moral  universe. 
The  constitution  of  the  family  state 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

Fundamental  principles.  The  consequences  of  the  apostasy. — 
The  gracious  design  to  bless  parental  faithfulness 18 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Abrahamic  covenant.  Its  terms,  promises,  and  seal.  Its 
perpetuity 27 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  right  of  Christians  to  the  Abrahamic  covenant.  The  cove- 
nant not  abolished  ;  confirmed ;  transferred ;  at  the  expense 
of  the  Jews 38 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  change  of  the  seal.  Circumcision  abolished.  Baptism  sub- 
stituted   47 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Argument  from  ecclesiastical  history.  Household  consecration, 
in  some  form,  the  uninterrupted  practice  of  the  Church,  during 
four  thousand  years.  Not  neglected  by  any  considerable  por- 
tion until  within  three  hundred.  Consecration  by  baptism  not 
denied  by  any  sect  during  the  first  thousand  years  of  Christian- 
ity. Not  commenced  at  any  period  since  the  apostolic  age. 
Universally  practised  in  the  fourth  century.  Its  previous  his- 
tory.   Establishing  its  apostolic  origin 61 

1* 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Household  consecration  in  the  apostolic  age.  Its  prominence.— 
Under  the  ministry  of  John,  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  the  apostles. 
The  Church  obUgated  to  regard  it  in  the  same  manner 76 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Utility  of  household  consecration.  The  state  of  mind  essential  to 
its  acceptable  performance.  The  distinct  and  solemn  pledge. 
Its  actual  bearing  on  parental  duties* 91 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Utility  of  household  consecration,  continued.  Its  influence  on 
consecrated  children.  Examples.  Its  connection  with  prevail- 
ing prayer.    Examples.    The  early  conversion  of  children 100 

CHAPTER  X. 

Utility  of  household  consecration,  continued.  Relation  of  bap- 
tized children  to  the  Church.  Influence  on  the  prosperity  of  the 
Church.  The  theory,  viewed  in  connection  with  the  practical 
operation 106 

CHAPTER  XL 

Household  consecration  in  its  administration.  The  Wyandot  chief. 
The  baptism 114 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Practical  reflections.    Application  of  these  principles  to  parents....  118 

CHAPTER  Xni. 

Practical  reflections.    Application  of  these  principles  to  fathers. ...  127 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Practical  reflections,  continued.  Application  of  these  principles 
to  mothers 13Q 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Practical  reflections.  Application  of  these  principles  to  consecra- 
ted children 143 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Duties  of  the  Church  on  the  subject  of  household  ,consecration. 
Special  consecration  of  children,  in  reference  to  the  gospel 
ministry.    Conclusion 150 


CONTENTS.  7 

Address  to  parents,  delivered  in  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church, 
Broome-street,  New- York,  before  the  New- York  Maternal 
Association,  at  their  Annual  Meeting,  March,  A.  D.  1836 157 

The  prayer  of  Habakkuk,  or  consolations  of  the  covenant 186 

The  altar  of  consecration 190 

The  consecration 191 

To  a  consecrated  youth 192 


^^yrrrw^^^' 


The  time  has  arrived  when  the  subject  of  Household 
Consecration  is  to  be  more  thoroughly  studied,  under- 
stood, and  practised,  than  at  any  former  period.  An  in- 
stitution founded  upon  imperishable  reasons,  and  animated 
by  principles  which  control  the  destinies  of  our  race, 
must,  in  the  progress  of  mankind  towards  the  ages  of  uni- 
versal Christianity,  be  more  fully  displayed  and  divinely 
honored.  The  rise  of  Sabbath  schools,  Bible  classes,  and 
infant  schools ;  the  publication  of  books  on  the  domestic 
relations ;  the  formation  of  maternal  associations ;  the  his- 
tory of  revivals,  as  written  in  the  biography  of  departed 
worthies,  and  in  our  own  delightful  experience  ;  have  con- 
spired to  arouse  the  Church  of  God  to  a  deeper  and  live^ 
lier  faith  in  the  covenant  of  consecration. 

The  author  has,  for  years,  watched  with  intense  inte- 
rest the  operations  of  divine  Providence  and  grace,  in  re- 
ference to  this  ordinance  of  the  Church,  and  has  become 
animated  with  the  firm  and  joyful  belief,  that  its  power 
and  virtue  have  not  at  all  been  developed  in  the  fulness  of 
their  splendor.  As  this  interest  has  led  him  occasionally 
to  speak  of  it  to  others,  he  has  been  delighted  to  find,  as 
if  by  one  common  influence,  the  minds  of  many  devoted 


10  PREFACE. 

ministers  and  Christians  watching  it  with  the  same  eager- 
ness, and  rejoicing  in  the  same  convictions.  Under  these 
impressions,  he  feels  constrained  to  exert  such  influence 
as  he  may  possess,  to  turn  the  attention  of  greater  numbers 
to  this  subject. 

He  has,  therefore,  resolved  to  employ  the  press,  as 
hitherto  he  has  often  employed  the  pulpit,  to  communicate 
to  his  fellow  Christians  his  views  and  feelings  respecting 
the  consecration  of  households  to  God.  *  In  several  succes- 
sive chapters  the  divine  origin  of  the  practice  of  infant 
dedication;  the  fundamental  and  perpetual  reasons  of  its 
institution  ;  the  designed  application  of  its  principles  to  all 
nations  and  ages  ;  the  ancient  and  the  modern  form,  by 
which  the  faith  of  the  Church  in  these  principles  has  been 
designated;  the  utility  of  this  ordinance,  and  its  relations 
to  all  the  interests  of  future  generations,  will  be  presented 
for  the  consideration  of  all  Christian  professors,  and  espe- 
cially for  those  who  already  practise  itj  The  fact,  that 
this  subject  has  awakened  so  much  controversy,  has  made 
many  lovers  of  peace  among  its  friends  averse  to  its  fre- 
quent discussion.  This  aversion  has  operated  to  exclude 
it  from  the  pulpit ;  and  this  exclusion  from  the  pulpit,  to 
cause  even  those  who  practise  it  to  slumber  over  its  spirit- 
ual principles  and  ecclesiastical  importance.  In  this  slum- 
ber many  households  have  fearfully  suffered.  The  rich 
and  healthy  influences  of  this  institution  of  ages  have  nei- 
ther been  fully  experienced,  nor,  when  partially  experi- 
enced, duly  appreciated.  Had  this  subject  received  atten- 
tion according  to  its  merits,  instead  of  being  considered 
as  scarcely  contained  in  the  Scriptures,  it  would  have  been 


PREtACE.  11 

regarded  as  intermingled  with  the  whole  current  of  inspi' 
ration  ;  instead  of  being  considered  as  an  ordinance  mere- 
}y  harmless,  it  would  have  been  recognized  as  an  arrange^ 
ment,  around  which  the  deepest  plans  of  divine  Providence 
have  taken  root,  and  on  which  the  great  multitude  of  pre^ 
cious  promises  have  bloomed  and  Clustered.  Indeed,  there 
is  good  reason  to  believe,  that  had  this  ordinance  been 
preserved  in  its  original  purity,  the  dark  ages  could  never 
have  intervened  ;  and  had  it  not  fallen  into  disuse,  the 
reformation  could  scarcely  have  been  impeded  ;  and  had 
it,  to  the  present  time,  preserved  its  spirituality,  the  world 
would  have  been  filled,  ere  this,  with  the  influence  of  a 
pure  Christianity. 

The  writer  is  aware  that  this  will  be  considered,  even 
by  many  of  its  friends,  as  extravagant  language.  By  those 
who  have  regarded  it  as  a  superstitious  and  frivolous  cere*- 
mony,  it  will  be  considered  as  an  outrage  upon  the  princi- 
ples of  all  sober  reasoning.  He  wishes  them,  however,  so 
far  to  suspend  their  decision,  as  to  consider  calmly  the 
views  and  reasons  which,  to  his  own  mind,  present  these 
assertions  as  the  language  of  truth  and  soberness.  He 
does  not  expect  to  convince,  or  impress  those  who  do  not 
read,  or,  reading,  do  not  reflect,  or,  reflecting,  do  not  pray. 
To  those,  however,  who  are  willing  to  study  the  great  per* 
manent  arrangements  of  divine  Providence,  to  ponder  the 
history  of  the  Church,  to  contemplate  the  everlasting  co- 
venant, and  admit  the  full  force  of  parental  responsibility, 
he  feels  assured  that  a  thorough  examination  of  this  sub- 
ject will  result  in  a  conscious  justification  of  his  strongest 
language.    If  this  great  theme  shall  thus  obtain  a  stronger 


12  PREFACE. 

hold  upon  the  spirit  of  prayer  now  rising  in  the  Church ; 
if  this  little  hook  shall  excite  believing  minds  to  think, 
and  abler  minds  to  preach  and  write,  respecting  that 
great  theme,  until  it  shall  rise  in  its  magnitude  upon 
the  vision  of  the  Church;  then  will  the  author  rejoice  in 
the  thought  that  he  has  not  written  in  vain.  Encouraging 
this  hope — a  hope  derived  from  having  already  presented 
these  views  in  other  methods,  he  commits  this  volume  to 
the  examination  of  the  Christian  public  and  to  the  blessing 
ofthe  God  of  truth. 


^*'*er 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Fundamental  principles.  The  constitution  of  the  moral  universe.   The 
constitution  of  the  family  state. 

The  consecration  of  households  to  God,  has  been  prac- 
tised by  the  great  body  of  the  Church  ever  since  the  time 
of  Abraham.  That  it  originated  in  the  wisdom  of  God,  and 
is  emphatically  a  divine  plan,  admits  of  direct  and  positive 
proof.  This  institution  must  have  its  fundamental  rea- 
sons. Its  antiquity  evinces  their  power,  and  its  divine  ori- 
gin, their  justice.     We  shall  therefore  proceed  to  inquire, 

What  foundation  there  is  in  the  constitution  of  things 
for  the  practice  of  household  consecration. 

1.  There  is  a  natural  foundation  for  it  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  moral  universe. 

In  that  constitution  God  has  claimed  the  supreme  right 
of  property  in  matter ^  and  has  revealed  himself  the  supreme 
and  exclusive  proprietor  of  mind.  This  right  is  original, 
independent,  absolute,  and  universal.  It  is  inalienable  and 
indestructible.  It  is  Jehovah's  prerogative,  peculiarly,  ex- 
clusively, and  forever.  In  the  system  of  moral  govern- 
ment which  he  has  established,  for  eternity,  he  has  involved, 
this  claim,  and  committed  himself  to  maintain  it  among  an- 
gels and  men.  It  is  wrought  into  every  living  glory  of 
heaven,  and  acknowledged  in  every  celestial  song.  It  is 
poured  in  upon  man  through  all  the  testimony  of  natural, 
religion,  and  all  the  ordinances  of  revealed.     It  pervades 

2 


14  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

all  his  circumstances  and  relations.  It  is  placed  upon  him 
on  his  first  introduction  to  existence.  Creative  power  hath 
started  a  new  nnind  on  its  endless  career,  and  ought  not 
that  mind  to  be  speedily  consecrated  to  God  ?  The  divine 
right  is  in  it.  The  divine  claim  is  upon  it.  Man,  there* 
fore,  should  hasten  to  acknowledge  them  ;  and  that  ac- 
knowledgment by  the  proper  persons,  in  the  proper  manner^ 
is  consecration.  Thus,  in  the  constitution  of  the  moral  uni- 
verse lies  one  fundamental  reason.  There  is,  moreover, 
another  :  That  mind  is  ordained  to  exert  an  influence  over 
mind  universally  and  forever. 

The  moral  sentiments  and  feelings  of  immortal  minds 
must  have  channels  of  mutual  communication,  and  When 
communicated,  must  produce  similar  or  diverse  sentiments 
and  feelings  in  associated  minds. 

The  peculiar  desirableness  of  an  intelligeilt  and  immoi'* 
tal  universe  must  consist  in  the  capacity  for  niutual  and  in- 
fluential communion.  In  consequence  of  this  capacity,  the 
universe  of  created  and  immortal  mind  will  be  able  to 
study  the  perfections  of  God,  and  mutually  to  exercise 
their  feelings  of  approbation  and  delight,  as  he  shall  con- 
descend to  reVeal  more  and  more  clearly,  through  eternity, 
his  nature,  his  character,  and  his  glory.  In  consequence  of 
this  capacity,  they  can  understand,  appreciate,  love,  and 
elevate  each  other.  God  may  thus  cast  over  the  mighty  uni- 
verse of  mind  flash  afl;er  flash  of  his  radiant  glory,  as  his  be- 
nevolent plan  shall  be  unfolded,  and  thus  educate,  for  an  im- 
mensity of  mutual  happiness,  his  obedient  offspring.  That 
whole  plan  is  one  system  of  in^uence,  mind  acting  upon  mind, 
uncreated  intelligence  influencing  in  law,  and  in  grace, 
created  intelligences^— and  created  minds  influencing  each 
other.  This  great  principle  of  the  moral  universe  has 
much  to  do  with  the  practice  of  infant  consecration.  The 
design  of  that  ordinance  is  to  secure  the  influence  of  mind 
over  mind  in  God's  behalf. 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  15 

So  far,  therefore,  as  it  is  adapted  in  itself  to  promote 
that  design,  and  so  far  as  God  has  determined  to  employ  it 
for  this  purpose  :  so  far,  moreover,  as  it  asserts  his  righte- 
ous and  absolute  claim  to  property  in  universal  mind,  it  is 
rationally  based  on  the  constitution  of  the  moral  universe 
itself. 

2.  There  is  a  natural  reason  for  this  ordinance  in  the 
domestic  constitution. 

God  has  there  given  mind  influence  over  mind  in  a  most 
intense  and  responsible  degree.  The  parties  are,  first,  two 
beings,  the  parents  ;  and  a  third  being,  the  child  ;  and  all 
immortal.  They  are  introduced  into  a  state  of  moral 
probation  ;  and  on  the  character  formed  and  developed  in 
their  probationary' state,  depends  their  eternal  destiny.  The 
parental  minds  combined,  are  placed  in  circumstances  cal- 
culated to  give  them  an  unrivalled  degree  of  influence  over 
the  mind  of  the  child.  The  ardent  and  mutual  affection 
between  the  parties ;  the  complete  superiority  of  the  pa- 
rents to  the  child  in  every  intellectual  acquirement ;  the 
entire  dependence  of  the  child  on  them  for  its  opinions  con- 
cerning itself,  the  world,  and  its  God ;  the  habitual  inter- 
course existing  between  them  on  the  most  ordinary  occa- 
sions ;  the  power  of  securing  the  additional  influence  of  the 
elder  children  over  the  younger,  in  harmony  with  that  of 
the  parents  :  all  these  circumstances  united,  conspire  to  fur- 
nish the  parents  with  an  almost  absolute  control  over  the 
earlier  habits  and  opinions  of  their  offspring.  Such,  then, 
is  the  construction  of  the  family  state,  and  such  the  moral 
influences  exerted  in  the  intimacies  of  its  bosom.  There 
the  first  issues  of  moral  character  are  nurtured— the 
earliest  impulses  sent  forth  upon  human  minds  and  hearts 
begin  to  flow.  There  the  first  affection  in  an  eternal  series  is 
warmed  into  conscious  existence.  There  the  destinies  of  na- 
tions are  cradled.     There,  in  the  smiles,  the  tears,  the 


16  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

playfulness,  and  the  laws  of  home,  the  great  moral  history 
of  human  nature  is  portrayed  in  living  hieroglyphics.  They 
indeed  form  an  essential  part  of  it. 

This  constitution,  with  all  its  springs  of  influence^  was 
designed  by  its  great  Author  for  the  purpose  of  forming  cha* 
racterfor  the  confirmed  glories  of  eternity.     It  was  ordained 
before  the  fall.     It  was  adapted  to  preserve  the  choicest 
influences  of  holy  parents,  unimpaired,  and  to  send  them  on 
accumulating  through  successive  millenniads.  The  prophet 
Malachi  asserts,  that  although  God  had  the  residue  of  the 
Spirit,  he  established  the  marriage  relation  between  two  in- 
dividuals that  he  might  seek  a  godly  seed.     This  was   the 
definite  and  avowed  object  of  the  family  state  itself.     For 
this,  its  living  fountains  were  opened  ;  its  deep  and  thril- 
ling intimacies  awakened,  its  physical,  intellectual,  and  mo- 
ral relations  founded.     These  being  universal,  entering  into 
the  experience  of  every  individual,  were  adapted  to  consti- 
tute a  most  permanent,  affecting,  and  influential  medium  of 
communication,  from  heart  to  heart,  throughout  the  race.  It 
was  adapted  to  make  the  wide  brotherhood  of  human  nature 
one  broad  ocean  of  affection,  lying  open  with  all  its  waves 
to  the  perpetual  breath  of  truth  :  to  the  congenial  impulses 
of  the  purest  and  sublimest  motives.    Thus  its  replenishing 
fountains  of  forming  influence  were  to  gush  forth  through 
all  time,  and  thus  its  spiritual  tides  were  to  heave  onward 
through    eternity.     It  was   on  this  constitution,  that   the 
Sanctifier  would  have  taken  his  seat,  in  extending  his  pre- 
serving  grace  over  unfallen  probation.     These  were  the 
cords  which,  thus  pervading  innumerable  minds  were  pla- 
ced in  the  hands  of  Adam,  and  were  to  convey,  through 
their  whole  extent,  life  and  peace,   or  death  and  woe,  ac- 
cording as  he  should  touch  them  with  the  unction  of  obe- 
dience, or  with  the  poison  of  rebellion. 

Had  our  first  parents  held  fast  their  allegiance,  and  ex- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  17 

erted  all  their  influence  to  form  their  children  to  holiness ; 
had  death  remained  a  stranger  to  our  race  ;  and  even  down 
to  the  present  time  had  the  ancient  patriarchs  lived  to  ex- 
ert a  holy  influence,  and  the  collected  wisdom  of  six  thou- 
sand years  remained  in  its  accumulated  treasures  to  in. 
struct  the  present  generation  ;  had  there  been  growing  also 
by  its  side  ten  thousand  friendships,  family  alliances,  long 
cherished  intimacies,  and  ever  kindling,  ever  strengthening 
attachment :  O,  then,  in  what  heavenly  places  would  the 
innocent  child  of  beauty  have  inhaled  its  earliest  impres- 
sions.  Yet  such  was  the  tendency  and  the  prospect,  before 
sin  entered,  "  and  with  it  death  with  all  our  woe." 

The  institution  of  infant  consecration,  therefore,  is 
founded  in  this  great  Providential  arrangement,  of  placing 
mankind  in  successive  generations.  God  could  have  crea- 
ted all  men  at  once,  and  made  us  all  contemporaries,  instead 
of  all  descendants  of  Adam  and  Eve.  He  saw  best,  how- 
ever,, in  his  infinite  wisdom,  to  constitute  the  parental  rela- 
tion, and  connect  with  this  constitution  such  a  powerful 
system  of  influence  and  responsibilities.  Does  there  not, 
then,  a  special  reason  at  once  appear,  why  parents,  en- 
trusted with  such  a  charge  as  the  education  of  an  immortal 
mind  for  an  eternal  residence  in  heaven,  should  be  required 
to  give  a  solemn  pledge  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  their 
trust  1  Would  it  not  accord  with  the  immense  interests 
connected  with  their  influence  to  secure  that  influence  for 
the  eternal  welfare  of  the  child  ?  Would  it  not  be  impor- 
tant to  make  deep  the  impression  of  the  infinite  value  ot 
the  young  immortal?  In  view  of  the  grand  object  of  the 
domestic  constitution,  therefore,  we  discern  a  most  urgent 
reason  for  the  divine  institution  «  f  household  dedication.  It 
evidently  has  no  trivial  origin — it  has  relations  of  most  im- 
pressive and  enduring  importance,  and  seems  at  once  to  be 
seated  in  the  deep  foundations  of  human  nature. 
2* 


CHAPTER  II. 

Fundamental  principles.    The  consequences  of   the  apostasy.    The 
gracious  design  of  God  to  bless  parent  faithfulness. 

The  strength  and  justice  of  this  institution  in  its  funda- 
mental principles  will  be  farther  apparent,  if  we  consider, 
3.  The   consequences   of  the  apostasy  on  the  human 
character  and  the  domestic  constitution.  Without  controver- 
sy, those  consequences  in  themselves  are  tremendous.    It  is 
now  certain  that  every  child,  in  forming  his  character  for 
the  judgment,  will  tit   himself  for  everlasting  destruction. 
Since  the  earliest  affections  of  the  infant  are  supremely  sel- 
fish, he  will  invariably  resist  the  claims  of  God,  at  their 
first  presentation,  and  persist  in  his  rebellion  until  it  be- 
comes habitual  and  eternal,  unless  through  divine  grace  he 
is  renewed,  forgiven,  and  prepared  for  heaven.    In  addition 
to  this,  his  native  and  voluntary  depravit)',  he  will  certainly 
be  surrounded  by  evil  and  vicious  examples ;  he  will  cer- 
tainly be  tempted  to  the  vicious  indulgence  of  his  constitu- 
tional propensities,  he  will  certainly  see  much,  even  in  the 
holiest  parents,  which  he  cannot  imitate  with  safety,  and 
finally  he  will  inevitably  be  exposed  to  the  wiles  of  the 
grand  adversary — the  original,  successful,  and  universal 
tempter.     Call  now  to  mind  the  principle  of  injiuence — 
mind  influencing  mind  on  moral  subjects — and  also  the  na- 
ture of  the  family  constitution,  giving  to  such  influence  an 
intense  and  unrivalled  sway,  and  you  will  at  once  perceive 
that  in  these  appalling  circumstances  the  parents  are  placed 
on  either  side  like  two  guardian  angels.     They,  if  their 
own  example  be  evil,  will  confirm,  strengthen,  and  foster  the 
evil  habits  of  their  child.     If  they  do  not  instruct  him  in  the 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  19 

knowledge  of  God,  he  will  grow  up  ignorant  and  impenitent. 
If  they  do  not  guard  him  from  the  contamination  of  evil  and 
seductive  examples — if  they  do  not  endeavor  to  enlist  his 
feelings  on  the  side  of  the  true  God — if  they,  above  all, 
should  inculcate  views  of  God  and  religion  fundamentally 
erroneous,  they  will  exert  a  deep,  continual,  and  efficacious 
influence  in  fitting  their  child  for  confirmed  irreligion  in 
time,  and  endless  destruction  when  time  shall  be  no  more. 
This  fearful  influence  will  issue,  not  from  a  studied  design 
to  exert  it,  but  from  their  neglect  of  pious  duties  ;  from  their 
love  for  worldly  pleasures  ;  from  their  vain  conversation. 
The  character  formed  under  such  influence  will  of  course 
reproduce  itself  in  the  next  generation,  and  thus  float  down 
for  ages,  bearing  with  it  an  accumulating  weight  of  guilt 
and  mourning.  T.ius  tlie  institution  of  household  relations, 
so  admirably  calculated  to  perpetuate  holiness  through 
successive  ages ;  so  much  like  Paradise  in  all  its  original 
tendencies,  is  made,  by  man's  depravity,  the  engine  of  trans- 
mitting evil  dispositions  and  habits.  The  grand  deceiver 
has  only  to  poison  the  domestic  fountain,  in  order  to  mingle 
his  agency  in  the  vast  concerns  of  men,  and  cover  the 
world  with  his  own  luxuriant  and  congenial  harvest.  The 
passions  and  the  selfishness  of  men,  bursting  forth  amidst 
innumerable  occasions  of  excitement,  have  always  required 
the  most  efficient  restraints,  even  for  the  preservation  of  the 
common  interests  of  society. 

How  often,  indeed,  the  most  weighty  considerations,  the 
most  affecting  motives,  which  either  time  or  eternity  can 
furnish,  are  like  the  green  withes  of  Sampson,  or  the  fetters 
of  the  Gadarenian  demoniac.  It  is,  therefore,  manifest, 
that  since  this  controlless  depravity  is  so  universal ;  since 
it  spreads  through  all  the  avenues  of  human  action  ;  since 
especially  in  the  family  circle  these  depraved  minds  are 
most  intimately  connected ;  since  thus  there  are  indissoluble 


20  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

cords  of  influence  binding  all  generations  together,  sin,  once 
introduced,  will  spread  like  fire  in  the  dry  and  thick  forest. 
If,  therefore,  any  thing  is  to  be  done  for  the  restoration  of 
man  to  holiness,  the  early  sanctification  of  the  domestic  in- 
fluences would  of  course  be  regarded  as  a  prominent  and 
all -important  measure.  Unless  grace  had  interposed,  the 
augmenting  depravity  of  man  would  have  overwhelmed  the 
human  race  with  one  universal  and  impervious  darkness. 
The  eruptions  of  depravity  in  different  generations  would 
have  buried  the  mortal  and  spiritual  interests  of  man  under 
ten  thousand  cemented  incrustations.  If,  then,  restoring 
mercy  were  to  exert  at  all  her  benevolent  offices  in  our  be- 
behalf,  she  would  be  directed  by  all  right  understanding  of 
the  permanent  plans  of  God,  to  apply  her  energies  to  those 
cords  of  inffuence  which  bind  the  ages  together.  If  she 
would  elevate  a  sinking  world,  or  even  transiently  suspend 
it,  from  the  cavernous  ruin  beneath,  she  must  apply  her  le- 
ver here.  The  nature  of  moral  influence  in  itself ;  its  in- 
tense action  in  the  domestic  circle  ;  and  above  all,  its  appal- 
ling perversion  through  mun's  entire  depravity,  demand, 
therefore,  that  the  parental  agency  be  secured  on  the  side 
of  God's  truth,  in  order  permanently  to  establish  any  sys- 
tem of  restoration.  The  work  of  restoration  must  employ 
these  original  and  all-pervading  energies  ;  and  the  system 
of  gracious  administration  must  be  founded  in  these  ever 
during  and  all-controlling  principles.  These  principles  are 
wrought  into  the  very  constitution  of  the  moral  universe, 
and  into  the  whole  structure  of  that  fearful  edifice — human 
nature — in  its  growth  o^  generations.  Through  all  the 
joints  and  timber  and  compartments  of  this  edifice,  the  per- 
meating presence  of  evil  agencies  has  left  its  monuments 
of  possession.  What  shall  be  done  ?  The  plague  is  raging  : 
The  prospective  atonement  has  rendered  forgiveness  possi- 
ble, if  the  hearts  of  men  are  changedj  and  if  the  sinful  race 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  21 

can  be  brought  to  repentance.  The  contrivances  of  mer- 
cy here  commence  their  direct  operation  upon  the  moral 
condition  of  man.  It  was  reasonable  that  the  holy  Agent 
of  grace  should  prepare  himself  a  passage  through  this 
thoroughfare  of  moral  influence.  It  was  reasonable  that 
He  should  connect  his  arrangements  for  restoring  holiness, 
with  the  same  principles  which  were  first  designed  for  per- 
petuating holiness  had  our  race  never  revolted.  It  was  rea- 
sonable that  in  order  to  subdue  the  power  of  the  devil,  he 
should  atttack  the  strong  holds,  which  he  had  erected  for  him- 
self, out  of  these  very  principles.  It  was  the  more  reasonable 
that  this  should  be  done,  when  the  ravages  which  death  was 
making  among  the  guilty  race,  and  especially  when  their 
imminent  exposures,  were  considered.  It  was  the  dictate  of 
reason,  of  benevolent  necessity  even,  that  some  direct  and 
well  adapted  course  of  effort  should  be  commenced,  in  re- 
ference to  the  renovation  of  children. 

If  such  a  course  of  effort  were  to  be  commenced,where 
could  the  eye  of  merciful  visitation  rest,  if  not  upon  paren^ 
tal  influence  ?  How  could  that  influence  be  secured,  even 
in  the  case  of  regenerated  parents,  better  than  by  requiring 
from  them  such  a  pledge  as  should  give  them  a  power- 
ful sense  of  their  responsibilities ;  connected  with  such 
promises  as  should  encourage  them  amidst  their  parental 
anxieties  ?  Therefore,  in  presenting  the  original  reasons  for 
establishing  this  practice,  we  adduce, 

4.  The  design  of  ( J  od  to  dispense  spiritual  blessings  in 
connection  with  parental  faithfulness.  The  principles  al- 
ready contemplated  illustrate  the  reasonableness  and  pro- 
priety, of  such  a  plan.  The  actual  existence  of  such  a 
design,  as  an  enduring  principle  of  divine  government, 
will  now  be  contemplated.  That  God  has  always  proceed- 
ed according  to  this  general  arrangement  is  evident  from 
the  earliest  records  of  his  gracious  deeds.     It  is  evident 


22  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

from  that  history,  even  in  view  of  the  progress  of  wicked- 
ness. Consider  now  the  primeval  operations  of  grace. 
After  the  fall,  the  promise  of  a  Saviour  was  made  to  our 
first  parents  ;  a  Saviour  who  was  to  be  their  descendant' 
When,  therefore,  after  the  murder  of  Abel,  the  birth  of 
Seth  occurred,  the  believing  mother  of  us  all  seems  to  have 
looked  upon  him  in  the  remembrance  and  application  of  the 
merciful  promise.  From  him  the  Messiah  eventually  de- 
scended. In  the  progress  of  mankind  through  the  antedi- 
luvian period,  we  find  two  distinct  classes  mentioned,  viz.  the 
sons  of  God  and  the  sons  of  men.  From  the  fact  that  pious 
patriarchs  of  those  days  were  the  descendants  of  Seth ;  com- 
bined with  the  fact  that  the  intermarriages  of  the  two  clas- 
ses  prepared  the  way  for  the  universal  corruption  of  the 
whole  earth,  we  are  authorized  to  infer  that  the  distinction 
between  the  two  classes  was  a  distinction  between  the  pious 
and  impious  families.  The  patriarchs  in  the  Hne  of  Seth. 
were  the  leaders  among  the  sons  of  God,  while  those  of 
Cain  were  undoubtedly  the  leaders  among  the  sons  of  men. 
The  names  of  Enos,  Enoch,  Methusaleh,  and  Noah,  desig- 
nate the  first ;  and  those  of  Cain,  Lamech,  Tubal-cain,  are 
characteristic  of  the  other. 

What  an  age  of  patriarchal  moral  power  was  that.  The 
longevity  of  those  men  enabled  them  to  exert  an  unrivalled 
agency  over  their  descendants.  Hundreds  of  years  rolled 
away,  and  still  the  venerable  patriarch  was  there.  How 
must  the  aged  Cain  have  looked,  after  the  spirit  of  murder 
had  drawn  its  lines  on  hia  countenance  for  hundreds  of 
years.  If  he  continued  unrenewed,  his  memory  must  have 
been  loaded  with  a  catalogue  of  sins  like  the  record  of  an 
empire,  and  in  the  aspect  of  his  multiplied  descendants  he 
could  behold  his  own  scornful  likeness  forming,  and  his 
own  terrible  example  applauded.  For  a  while  the  sons  of 
God  enjoyed,  from  their  longevity,  the  same  advantages. 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  23 

Enoch)  the  seventh  from  Adam  in  the  line  of  Seth,  was 
contemporary  with  Adam  himself,  for  the  space  of  three 
hundred  and  eight  years.  Methusaleh,  his  son,  enjoyed 
the  instructions  of  the  heavenly  Enoch  for  three  hundred 
years,  and  was  able  to  extend  them,  after  his  father's  won- 
derful translation,  for  six  hundred  and  ninety-five  years 
longer !  What  a  sublime  spectacle,  to  have  seen  the  aged 
Methusaleh,  training  up  the  young  Noah,  his  grandson, 
and  watching  with  tearful  eye  the  labor  of  Noah  in  building 
the  mysterious  ark.  The  main  channels  of  grace  were 
certainly  along  the  line  of  this  sanctified  parental  and  pa- 
triarchal influence.  The  object  of  this  arrangement  was 
to  take  advantage  of  the  original  family  constitution,  and 
establish  it  with  its  perpetual  influences  over  the  world. 
The  time,  however,  for  the  complete  accomplishment  of  this 
object,  had  not  then  arrived^may  I  not  say,  has  not  yet 
arrived.  God,  for  wise  reasons,  perhaps  that  the  destruc- 
tive  nature  of  unholy  agency  might  be  more  fully  exhi- 
bited, permitted  the  attractions  of  the  world  to  seduce  from 
the  family  allegiance  the  sons  of  God.  The  righteous  and 
the  wicked  began  to  mingle  in  families.  The  descendants 
of  such  marriage  connections  copied  the  more  agreeable 
fashions  of  the  licentious  world ;  tlie  barriers  were  broken 
down,  and  the  impious  opinions  and  example  of  the  wicked 
obtained  currency  and  ascendency  around  the  homes  and 
the  hearths  of  the  saints.  One  holy  patriarch  afi;er  another 
went  down  to  the  grave.  The  spirit  of  grace  forsook  the 
altar-places  which  once  he  delighted  to  overshadow,  and  a 
deep-minded^  dark-hearted  race  of  giant  men  controlled, 
with  violence  and  oppression^  the  abandoned  world.  When 
God  had  suffered  this  state  of  things  to  exist,  until  the  full 
tendencies  of  perverted  family  influence  were  fearfully  ex- 
hibited, until  it  resulted  in  the  production  of  a  countless  race 
of  old,  experienced  criminals,  gigantic  in  stature  and  proudly 


24  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

intelligent  in  doing  evil ;  grovelling  in  imagination ;  base 
in  purpose ;  unrestrained  in  conduct ;  he  announced  his 
design  to  limit  the  days  of  man's  probation  to  a  much  shorter 
period,  and  to  destroy  the  whole  of  the  antediluvian  race — 
Noah  and  his  family  excepted.  How  strongly  does  the 
story  of  those  ancient  days  evince  the  existence  of  a  design 
already  stated,  to  make  the  family  relation  the  main  channel 
of  grace.  After  the  deluge,  the  settlement  of  the  human 
race  was  again  commenced,  in  the  family  of  Noah.  Here, 
moreover,  the  evidence  is  equally  convincing  of  the  exist- 
ence of  such  an  arrangement.  The  descendants,  especi- 
ally of  Shem  and  Japhet,  appear  to  have  included  the  piety 
of  those  ages.  The  art  of  war  was  introduced,  probably, 
by  Nimrod,  a  descendant  of  Ham.  It  is  very  clear  that 
idolatry  also  originated  with  the  descendants  of  Cush,  the 
son  of  Ham,  Egypt  and  Canaan,  countries  peopled  by 
the  descendants  of  Ham,  show  in  the  inspired  record  of  the 
character  and  curse,  the  power  of  the  family  constitution 
when  perverted. 

The  evidence  of  existing  piety  from  the  time  of  Noah  to 
Abraham  is  all  to  be  obtained  from  the  history  of  the  race 
of  Shem  and  Japhet.  So  far,  then,  during  a  period  of  2000 
years,  there  is  evidence  that  the  great  amount  of  all  the 
dispensations  of  grace  has  been  on  the  principle  of  Messing 
children  through  the  influence  of  believing  parents.  These 
facts  will,  moreover,  explain  the  reason  annexed  to  the 
second  commandment,  and  through  that  explanation  will 
shed  much  admonition  and  encouragement  around  the  family 
relations.  They  will  explain  how  it  is  that  God  may  visit 
the  iniquities  of  the  father  upon  the  children  unto  the  third 
and  fourth  generation  of  those  that  hate  him.  He  has  only 
to  leave  the  wicked  parents  to  exert  their  natural  influence 
on  their  own  children,  and  withhold  his  regenerating  grace 
from  those  households  whose  parents  never  seek  it  in  the 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  25 

behalf  of  their  offspring.  He  will  eventually  punish  the 
children  themselves  only  for  their  own  iniquities,  yet  their 
course  of  action  was  influenced  by  the  examples  and  ini 
structions  of  their  ungodly  parents.  There  is,  howeverj 
much  to  encourage,  as  well  as  much  to  admonish  the  parent. 
For  he  does  Mess  with  his  converting  grace  the  houseliolds  of 
his  faithful  people.  He  does  bless  the  holy  patriarch's 
heavenly  influence.  He  does,  actually,  as  we  have  seen, 
bestow  his  gracious  visitations  according  to  this  rational, 
permanent,  and  independent  arrangement. 

Let  me  also  here  remark,  with  grateful  adoration,  how 
much,  according  to  this  principle,  his  goodness  exceeds  his 
severity  !  While  his  curse  that  is  in  the  house  of  the  wicked 
may  be  removed  in  the  third  or  fourth  generation,  his  gra- 
cious design  and  its  consequent  train  of  spiritual  blessings, 
may  extend  through  a  thousand  generations  of  those  that 
love  him.  Thus  by  carrying  out  the  spirit  and  principle 
of  this  general  design  in  the  special  work  of  his  grace,  all 
the  precious  promises  will  be  accomplished,  and  the  original 
constitution  of  the  family  state  will  thus  be  restored,  to  pour 
its  millennial  influences  over  the  world,  until 

"  The  rose  of  Eden  blooms  again  for  man." 

If,  then,  the  design  which  we  have  stated  does  exist  as  a 
permanent  gracious  arrangement,  how  perfectly  proper 
that  an  institution  should  be  founded,  in  which  the  parent 
should  promise  to  fulfil  his  high  religious  obligations,  and 
in  which  the  covenant-keeping  God  should  promise  to  sus- 
tain him  among  his  overwhelming  responsibilities?  Such 
an  institution  is  infant  consecration,  founded  originally  by 
the  direct  appointment  of  Jehovah.  Whether  it  ought  now 
to  be  continued — whether  the  form  of  consecration  should 
be  water  baptism,  are  questions  hereafter  to  be  examined ; 

3 


26  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

but  that  infant  dedication  was  originally  ordained  by  Jeho- 
vah himself,  cannot  of  course  be  denied  by  any  believer  in 
the  Bible.  The  considerations  already  suggested  will 
show  that  the  ordinance  was  based  on  the  most  important 
reasons. 


CHAPTER   III. 

The  Abrahamic  covenant.    Terms.    Promises,  seal,  perpetuity. 

We  have  seen  that  the  ordinance  of  infant  consecration 
is  from  heaven ;  and  like  all  other  divine  institutions,  hath 
a  strong  foundation — composed  of  the  great  elementary- 
truths  of  moral  government  and  family  constitution ;  a 
foundation  laid  amidst  the  ruins  of  the  fall,  by  the  hand  of 
mercy,  embodying  the  great  fact,  that  God  designs  to  dis- 
pense spiritual  blessings  to  children  in  connection  with  paren- 
tal faithfulness.  The  existence  of  this  design,  as  a  perma- 
nent plan,  is  manifest  already  by  the  consideration  that 
even  before  any  external  form  of  consecration  was  enjoined, 
the  transactions  of  grace  had  proceeded  for  two  thousand 
years,  in  uniform  accordance  with  its  principles.  The 
time  at  length  arrived,  when  this  design  was  to  be  brought 
more  prominently  to  view,  and  when  its  principles  were  to 
become  more  powerful  in  action.  The  experience  of  ages 
had  manifested,  not  to  God,  but  in  man's  history,  for  man's 
future  use,  the  importance  of  some  distinct  and  solemn 
pledge,  which  should  be  adopted  to  secure  the  parental 
faithfulness,  and  with  which  the  fulfilment  of  the  gracious 
design  was  so  intimately  connected.  At  the  calling  of 
Abraham,  idolatry  had  become  firmly,  and  generally  es- 
tablished, and  the  worship  of  the  true  God  was  sinking 
into  disuse.  How  fearfully,  in  these  facts  of  ancient  days, 
is  the  contagious  power  of  depravity  exhibited!  What 
lessons  of  instruction  will  be  communicated  to  the  ages  to 
come  !    what  impressive  admonitions  to  all  worlds  against 


28 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 


the  introduction  of  sin !  An  Eden  lost ;  a  world  destroyed  ; 
a  new  world  corrupted.  The  voice  of  God  calls  from  that 
burning  portion  of  history,  Beware  of  sin. 

God,  however,  was,  in  the  course  of  all  these  events, 
developing  the  truth  of  his  law,  and  the  arrangements  of 
his  grace.  He  ordered  the  whole  current  of  human  affairs 
in  view  of  the  advent  of  Christ.  This  great  event,  on  which 
the  interest  of  a  world  depended,  was  now  to  be  connected 
with  the  posterity  of  Abraham,  and  a  nation  was  to  be  pro- 
vided as  a  cradle  for  the  Saviour,  and  a  nursery  for  the 
Church.  For  this  purpose,  and  in  view  of  all  results  con- 
sequent  upon  the  establishment  of  Christianity,  Abraham 
was  called  to  go  out  from  his  native  land,  a  lonely  pilgrim, 
yet  an  heir  of  glorious  promises.  He  was  assured  that  in 
his  posterity  all  the  families  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed. 
He  trusted  in  God,  and  by  faith,  saw  the  day  of  Christ  and 
was  glad.  Then  it  was,  that  God,  from  a  regard  to  the 
interests  of  mankind  in  all  ages,  revealed  to  him  his  gracious 
plan,  and  established  the  everlasting  household  covenant. 
This  covenant,  like  the  rainbow  in  its  humid  beauty,  was 
to  shine  illustrious  by  the  living  principles  which  were 
essential  to  its  formation.  As  this  covenant  combines  in 
itself  the  aforesaid  fundamental  principles,  and  establishes, 
until  the  period  of  its  own  abolition,  the  practice  of  infant 
consecration,  I  shall  solicit  the  candid  attention  of  the 
reader  to  the  following  topics : 

I.  The  nature  and  provisions  of  the  Abrahamic  cove- 
nant. 

II.  The  right  of  God's  people,  through  all  ages  and 
nations,  to  its  invaluable  privileges  ;  and, 

III.  The  evidence  that  baptism  is  now,  in  the  place  of 
circumcision,  the  appointed  seal  of  that  everlasting  cove- 
nant. 

I.  The  covenant,  whose  nature  and  provisions  we  are 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  29 

now  to  examine,  is    contained   in   the    17th   chapter   of 
Genesis. 

"  And  when  Abram  was  ninety  years  old  and  nine,  the 
Lord  appeared  to  Abram,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am  the 
Almighty  God,  walk  before  me  and  be  thou  perfect.  And 
I  will  make  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  will 
multiply  thee  exceedingly.  And  Abram  fell  on  his  face ; 
and  God  talked  with  him,  saying,  As  for  me,  behold  my 
covenant  is  with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  a  father  of  many 
nations.  Neither  shall  thy  name  any  more  be  called 
Abram  ;  but  thy  name  shall  be  Abraham,  for  a  father  of 
many  nations  have  I  made  thee.  And  1  will  make  thee 
exceeding  fruitful,  and  I  will  make  nations  of  thee;  and 
kings  shall  come  out  of  thee.  And  1  will  establish  my 
covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  in 
their  generations,  for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a  God 
unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee.  And  I  will  give  unto 
thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee,  the  land  wherein  thou  art 
a  stranger,  all  the  land  of  Canaan,  for  an  everlasting  pos- 
session, and  I  will  be  their  God.  And  God  said  unto 
Abraham,  Thou  shalt  keep  my  covenant  therefore,  thou 
and  thy  seed  after  thee,  in  their  generations.  This  is  my 
covenant  which  ye  shall  keep,  between  me  and  you,  and 
thy  seed  after  thee  ;  every  man-child  among  you  shall  be 
circumcised.  And  ye  shall  circumcise  the  flesh  of  your 
foreskin,  and  it  shall  be  a  token  of  the  covenant  betwixt 
me  and  you.  And  he  that  is  eight  days  old  shall  be  cir- 
cumcised among  you,  every  man-child  in  your  generations, 
he  that  is  born  in  the  house,  or  bought  with  money  of  any 
stranger,  which  is  not  of  thy  seed.  He  that  is  born  in  thy 
house,  and  he  that  is  bought  with  thy  money,  must  needs 
be  circumcised,  and  my  covenant  shall  be  in  your  flesh  for 
an  everlasting  covenant.  And  the  uncircumcised  msm- 
child,  whose  flesh  of  his  foreskin  is  not  circumcised,  that 

8* 


30  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people  ;  he  hath  broken  my 
covenant."  1-14. 

In  order  to  understand  the  nature  and  provisions  of  this 
covenant,  we  must  consider  its  terms,  its  promises,  and  its 
seal. 

1.  What  were  the  terms  of  the  covenant? 

In  order  to  enter  this  covenant  it  was  essential  that 
Abraham  should  give  credible  evidence  of  his  faith.  It  was 
after  his  faith  had  been  well  known,  and  well  tried,  that 
his  public  connection  with  it  was  formed.  Saving  faith,  or 
vital  godliness,  was  required  in  the  language  of  its  intro- 
duction, "  I  am  the  Almighty  God ;  walk  before  me,  and  he 
thou  perfect.  And  I  will  make  my  covenant  between  me  and 
thee,  and  will  multiply  thee  exceedingly.  And  Abraham  fell 
on  hisface.^^  He  exercised  unwavering  faith  in  the  divine 
word,  and  consented  to  the  holy  terms,  which  were  essen- 
tial to  his  admission. 

As  this  covenant,  moreover,  respected  his  offspring  as 
well  as  himself,  it  was  essential  that  he  should  exercise  that 
faith  in  a  course  of  parental  faithfulness.  Thus,  shortly 
after  this  transaction,  the  Lord,  referring  to  this  very  house- 
hold promise,  said,  "  For  I  know  him,  that  he  will  command 
his  children,  and  his  household  after  him ;  and  they  shall 
keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do  justice  and  judgment ;  that 
the  Lord  may  bring  upon  Abraham  that  which  he  hath  spoken 
ofhim.^'  Gen.  xviii.  19.  It  is  manifest  from  this,  that  God 
intended  to  bless  his  posterity  according  to  his  parental 
faithfulness  ;  and  that  the  promise  to  him,  in  behalf  of  his 
household,  was  made  on  this  condition. 

2.  What  were  the  promises  of  this  covenant  ? 

The  promises  made  to  Abraham  on  the  conditions  above 

specified,  respected  both  himself  and  his  offspring.     The 

grand  object  of  this  covenant,  in  all  its  bearings,  was,  the 

conveyance  of  spiritual  blessings.    Of  this,  the  phrases, "  to 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  31 

be  a  God  to  thee,"  "  I  will  be  their  God,"  are  conclusive 
proof.  This  was  the  language  of  God  through  all  the 
Scripture  when  the  gifts  of  saving  grace  were  promised. 

Jer.  xxxi.  33.  "  This  shall  he  the  covenant  that  I  will 
make  with  the  house  of  Israel,  saith  the  Lord  ;  I  will  put  my 
law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  will  ivrite  it  in  their  hearts^ 
and  I  will  he  their  God,  and  they  shall  he  my  people. ^^  In 
Ezekiel  xi.  19,  20 ;  xxxvi.  25-28  ;  xxxvii.  26,  27 ;  the 
same  expressive  language  is  employed  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. Thus,  indeed,  the  new  and  everlasting  covenant  is 
emphatically  expressed.  The  same  language  is  as  full  of 
grace  and  truth  when  used  to  Abraham,  as  when  used  cm 
any  subsequent  occasion.  Not  only  the  scriptural  use,  but 
the  grand  idea  of  the  expression  itself,  "  I  will  be  thy  God,''^ 
obliges  us  to  this  interpretation.  What  more  can  any  im- 
mortal spirit  possess,  than  to  have  the  great  God  his  sure 
and  eternal  portion  ?  What  bestowments  of  grace  can  be 
imagined  not  included  here  ?  Nor  is  it  an  objection  to  these 
views,  that  temporal  blessings  are  promised,  in  the  context, 
as  well  as  spiritual.  This  also,  elsewhere,  the  Bible  pro- 
raises :  "  No  good  thing  will  he  withhold  from  them  that  walk 
uprightly. — I  have  never  seen  the  righteous  forsaken,  nor  his 
seed  begging  hread: — Godliness  hath  the  promise  of  the  life 
that  now  is,  as  well  as  of  the  life  which  is  to  come^  The 
Lord  is  the  guardian  of  his  people  in  every  interest,  whe- 
ther temporal  or  spiritual ;  and  the  angel  that  encampeth 
round  about  them,  is  not  less  the  minister  of  his  providence 
than  of  his  grace. 

This  glorious  covenant  conveys  these  spiritual  hlessings 
to  the  believer  himself.  His  regeneration,  his  saving  faith, 
his  personal  obedience  to  the  truth,  is  presupposed,  as  essen- 
tial to  his  entrance  upon  these  covenant  privileges.  The 
personal  promise  to  him,  as  a  believer,  insured,  1st.  Par. 
don ;  2d.  Sanctification ;  3d.  Perseverance.  For  all  these, 


32  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

together  with  all  needful  temporal  good,  are  included  in  the 
phrase,  I  will  be  thy  God,  as  explained  by  the  Bible  itself. 
His  own  regeneration  is  not  promised,  because  it  is  itself  a 
prerequisite  to  an  entrance  upon  the  covenant  title.  This 
being  supposed,  these  other  blessings  the  covenant  insures 
to  him  absolutely  and  unconditionally,  as  a  believer  in  Jesus 
Christ.  His  faith  is  the  connecting  bond,  which  unites  him 
to  these  blessings  of  adoption.  By  thus  securing  the  per- 
severing holiness  of  the  believer  himself,  it  forms  a  sure 
foundation  for  its  farther  procedures  respecting  his  house- 
hold. Therefore,  it  promises  to  convey  the  blessings  of 
grace  to  his  offspring,  on  condition  of  his  parental  faithful, 
ness.  The  promise,  as  extended  to  his  children,  included 
regeneration  in  addition,  and  as  the  grand  prerequisite  to  all 
the  others.  A  promise  so  rich,  was  made  only  to  living 
faith,  and  in  proportion  to  the  degree  and  eminence  of  pa- 
rental  faithfulness.  It  placed  the  redeemed  head  of  a  fallen 
household  on  the  rock  of  salvation,  and  roused  him,  by 
most  thrilling  motives,  to  attempt,  while  it  encouraged  him 
to  expect,  according  to  his  operative  faith,  their  certain  re- 
demption also.  This  promise  to  the  believing  parent  was 
conditional,  and  graduated  in  its  gracious  meaning,  accord- 
ing to  the  measure  of  faith  which  should  be  manifested  in 
the  domestic  constitution.  Should  the  parent's  light  be 
obscured,  and  his  conduct  be  grossly  inconsistent ;  should 
he  break  the  covenant  engagement ;  should  he  fail,  like 
Eli,  to  restrain  his  children  ;  should  he  be  grossly  deficient 
in  any  parental  duty,  he  has  reason  to  expect  the  most  dis- 
astrous consequences  to  his  family.  On  the  other  hand, 
should  he  perform  the  conditions  of  the  covenant ;  should 
Jie  exercise  the  higher  degrees  of  faith,  in  its  promises ; 
should  he  avail  himself  of  all  its  possible  resources — he 
may  expect,  not  their  salvation  merely,  but  their  dlstin- 
tinguished  usefulness,  their  exalted  temporal  prosperity,  and 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  33 

their  eminence  of  celestial  glory.  On  this  subject  God 
hath  always  delighted  to  make  his  grace  illustrious.  His 
voice,  to  the  confiding  parent  is,  continually,  Come  up 
higher ! 

There  is  one  point  here  which  should  be  distinctly  mark- 
ed. That  all  the  spiritual  blessings  which  the  believer  is 
to  expect  for  his  children  he  must  expect  on  the  ground  of 
this  special  promise,  and  through  the  special  visitations  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  God  has  designed  to  employ  the  wonder* 
ful  resources  of  the  family  state  in  his  own  cause ;  but  he 
means  to  have  us  understand,  that  after  all  this  adaptation 
of  means,  it  is  only  through  the  special  influences  of  grace, 
provided  in  the  covenant  promise,  that  the  blessing  shall 
come. 

3.  What  was  the  import  of  the  seal  ? 

The  seal  itself,  in  its  great  original  import,  was  spirit- 
ual. The  apostle  declares  it  "  a  seal  of  the  righteousness 
of  the  faith  which  he  had,  being  yet  uncircumcised.^'  By  the 
command  of  God  it  was  placed  upon  the  parent  and  the 
child.  When  placed  upon  the  parent,  it  was  a  token  of 
God's  claim  upon  him,  and  of  God's  personal  promise  to 
him,  and  of  his  professed  submission  to  the  claim,  and  living 
faith  in  the  promise.  When  placed  upon  the  child,  it  was 
a  token  of  God's  claim  upon  the  child ;  of  God's  promise 
to  the  father  on  behalf  of  the  child  ;  and  also,  of  the  father's 
consent  to  the  claim,  and  faith  in  the  promise.  In  both 
cases,  the  entire  consecration  of  the  individual  on  whom  the 
seal  was  placed,  by  the  faith  of  the  father,  was  necessarily 
implied.  When  God  said,  I  will  he  thy  God,  the  submis- 
sion to  the  seal  was  the  father's  amen.  When  he  said, 
"  and  of  thy  seed  after  thee,"  the  sealing  of  the  child  was 
that  same  father's  amen  to  this  promise  also.  It  implied, 
therefore,  a  pledge,  in  the  first  instance,  of  his  own  entire 
consecration  to  Jehovah  ;  and  in  the  second,  that  he  as  sin* 


34  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

cerely  consecrated  his  household  as  he  did  himself;  that  he 
himself  would  walk  before  God  with  a  perfect  heart,  and 
that  he  would  thus  command  his  household  after  him.  The 
promise,  on  the  part  of  God,  to  him,  was  like  that  to  the 
jailer,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  he 
saved  and  thine  house*"  The  promise,  on  his  part,  to  God, 
was  like  that  of  Joshua,  "  As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will 
serve  the  Lord," 

The  seal  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  therefore,  when 
placed  upon  the  father  and  his  family,  dedicated  all  the 
domestic  relations,  influences,  and  interests,  to  the  Supreme 
God.  When  placed  upon  the  father,  it  publicly  attested 
that  glorious  arrangement  of  saving  grace  which  was 
made  between  God  and  his  soul.  When  placed  upon  the 
child,  it  was  a  significant  sign  of  that  same  gracious  arrange- 
ment, in  its  bearing,  through  a  conditional  promise,  on  the 
infant.  When  the  consecrated  infant  himself  believed, 
it  then  became  to  him  a  token  of  his  interest  in  the  promise 
of  pardon,  sanctification,  and  preserving  grace.  Then,  and 
not  till  then,  he  also,  personally,  for  himself  and  offspring, 
entered  into  covenant  with  God.  The  Abrahamic  cove- 
nant, with  its  terms,  its  promises,  and  its  seal,  was  a  glorious 
ecclesiastical  administration  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  It 
included  the  provisions  of  that  covenant — and  more  also, 
unless  the  covenant  of  grace  be  defined,  as  including^  in 
itself  the  conditional  provisions  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant, 
respecting  the  households  of  believers.  The  covenant  ot 
grace  has  not  generally  been  thus  defined.  Perhaps  it 
may,  more  correctly,  be  termed  the  covenant  of  grace, 
brought  into  public  profession,  and  extending  its  promise  to 
parents  in  behalf  of  their  children,  through  certain  appro- 
priate  conditions.  The  great  ideas  are  the  same  in  either 
case,  and  the  conclusions  are  precisely  the  same,  respecting 
parental  duties  and  parental  hopes.    The  application  of  the 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  35 

seal,  both  to  the  parent  and  the  child,  was  the  appointed 
manner  in  which  the  ancient  believer  professed  his  faith, 
and  solemnized  his  household  consecration. 

.  The  right  of  circumcision  was  well  adapted  as  a  seal 
of  that  faith  which  receives  remission  of  sins  through  the 
shedding  of  blood,  and  professes  a  spiritual  and  internal 
change.  Hence  the  frequent  application  of  the  term  to 
the  moral  state  of  men. — "The  Lord  thy  God  will  cir- 
cumcise thine  heart." — "  Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncircumci- 
sed  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost, 
as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye."  There  was  also  a  special 
propriety  in  the  selection  of  circumcision,  as  the  seal,  be- 
cause it  prefigured  a  bleeding  Saviour  to  come  ;  and  pre- 
served the  nation  of  Israel  distinct  from  other  nations,  until 
the  Messiah  appeared.  The  last  suggestion  will  explain 
particularly  the  reason  of  its  adoption,  and  will  vindicate 
the  propriety  of  a  change  of  the  seal,  when  the  gospel 
was  to  be  pubhshed  through  all  the  world,  and  the  many 
nations  were  to  hail  the  Chaldean  Shepherd  as  their  father. 
The  advantages  of  this  seal  were  sufficient,  therefore,  to 
compensate  for  the  disadvantage  of  its  application  only  to 
one  sex,  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  other  sex  was  con- 
sidered as  characterized  and  included  in  the  household,  as 
surely  as  if  any  other  seal  had  been  selected  :  and  that  the 
circumcision  would  harmonize  well  with  the  Jewish  cere- 
monies, with  which,  for  ages,  it  was  to  be  associated,  and 
might  be  easily  exchanged  for  another,  when  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation,  with  its  more  liberal  privileges,  should 
commence. 

The  same  general  course  of  reasoning  will  explain  the 
propriety  of  especially  including  in  the  promise,  the  land 
of  Canaan,  as  the  everlasting  inheritance  of  the  literal  de- 
scendants of  Abraham.  It  was  a  promise  subordinate  to 
the  main  design,  like  the  establishment  of  the  Jewish  na- 


36  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECEATION. 

tion,  and  connected  in  this  manner  with  the  coming  of  the 
Mediator,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  on  which  event  the  power 
and  vaUdity  of  all  the  gracious  arrangements  depended. 

On  the  whole,  we  arrive  at  the  following  unembarrased 
conclusions  : — 

1.  That  Abraham  entered  into  this  covenant  after  having 
given  evidence  of  his  faith. 

2.  That  this  covenant  was  a  divine  arrangement  esta- 
blished by  Jehovah  himself!  with  which  Abraham,  as  a  be- 
liever^ was  called  to  comply. 

3.  That  the  terms  of  this  covenant  were  personal  faith, 
and  parental  fidelity. 

4fc  That  all  the  promises  of  this  covenant  were  made  in 
and  through  the  glorious  Mediator., 

5.  That  this  COY enant promised  spiritual  blessings  as  the 
main  scope  of  its  provisions,  and  temporal  blessings  as  sub- 
ordinate and  collateral. 

6.  That  it  promised  spiritual  blessings  to  Abraham,  ab- 
solutely on  his  own  behalf,  and  conditionally  on  behalf  of 
his  offspring. 

7.  That  Abraham  was  required  to  seal  this  covenant 
by  circumcising  himself  and  his  household  ;  and  that  cir- 
cumcision on  these  principles  was  personal  and  household 
consecration. 

8.  That  the  same  mode  of  consecration  was  used  for 
his  children  which  was  used  lor  himself 

9.  That  this  circumcision  was  the  appointed  token,  or 
memorial,  between  God  and  Abraham  of  this  spiritual 
covenant. 

10.  That  this  covenant  is  repeatedly  declared  to  be 
everlasting. 

The  proof  of  the  final  conclusion  is  in  the  language  of 
the  covenant  itself  I  will  make  between  me  and  thee  an 
everlasting  covenant.     In  1st  Chron.  xvi.  15,  17,  that  co- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  87 

venant  is  portrayed  in  the  following  manner :  "  Be  t^ 
mindful  always  of  his  covenant,  of  the  word  which  he  com- 
manded to  a  thousand  generations.  Even  the  covenant 
which  he  made  with  Abraham,  and  of  his  oath  unto  Isaac ; 
and  hath  confirmed  the  same  unto  Jacoh  for  a  law,  and  to 
Israel  for  an  everlasting  covenant,"  These  assertions  re, 
specting  the  perpetuity  of  this  covenant  correspond  with 
the  natural  conclusion  which  results  fVom  the  permanent 
character  of  its  fundamental  principles.  What  can  be 
more  valuable  to  the  believer,  during  any  period  of  time» 
than  a  full  assurance  of  his  title  to  its  unsearchable  pri, 
vileges  ? 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  right  of  Christians  to  the  Abrahamic  covenant.  Covenant  not  abo- 
)ished — confirmed — transferred,  at  Uie  expense  of  the  Jews,  to  the  Gen- 
tiles. 


We  shall  now  proceed  to  consider, 

II.  The  right  of  God's  people,  through  all  ages  and 
nations,  to  the  invaluable  privileges  of  the  Abrahamic  co- 
venant. 

The  evidence  that  Christians  are  entitled  to  all  the  pri- 
vileges of  the  Abrahamic  covenant  is  abundant  and  con- 
vincing. In  the  Scriptures  of  truth  a  series  of  positions  are 
maintained,  which  constitute,  together,  a  most  satisfactory- 
proof  of  the  perpetuity  of  that  covenant,  and  of  the  right  of 
Christians  to  its  promises. 

1.   That  covenant  has  never  heen  aholished. 

The  truth  of  this  sentiment  might  be  strongly  argued, 
from  the  fundamental  principles  upon  which  it  was  origin- 
ally established.  Not  only  the  great  reasons  remain  un- 
changed, but  the  institution  is  as  well  adapted  to  the  circum- 
stances of  all  ages  and  nations,  as  the  age  and  nation  of 
Abraham.  The  family  constitution  remains  the  same,  with 
all  its  moral  bearings,  and  the  responsibilities  of  parents 
remain  ;  and  the  design  of  God  to  bless  believing  parents 
in  their  consecrated  households  is  incorporated  into  the  liv- 
ing promises  and  procedures  of  God.  If  God  has  publicly 
recognized  these  principles,  and  this  covenant,  as  a  part  of 
his  perpetual  system  of  administration,  it  is  not  to  be  sup- 
posed that  he  has  now  abandoned  it.  If,  however,  he  has 
given  up  that  covenant,  some  intimation  of  such  relinquish- 
ment must  be  contained  in  the  Scriptures.     It  may  be  well 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  39 

to  examine  a  few  passages  which  are  sometimes  adduced 
to  prove  the  abolition  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant.  The 
language  of  Jeremiah  xxxi.  31-33,  is  quoted  for  this 
purpose : 

"  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make 
a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house 
of  Judah  ;  not  according  to  the  covenant  that  I  made  with 
their  fathers,  in  the  day  that  I  took  them  by  the  hand  to 
bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  which  my  covenant 
they  brake,  although  I  was  a  husband  unto  them,  saith  the 
Lord.  But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with 
the  house  of  Israel :  After  those  days,  saith  the  Lord,  I 
will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their 
hearts;  and  will  be  their  God^  and  Ihey  shall  be  my 
people." 

That  this  text,  however,  does  not  assert  the  termination 
of  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  is  evident  from  several  consi>. 
derations.  The  first  is,  that  the  covenant  here  said  to  be 
superseded,  was  a  covenant  formed  hundreds  of  years  after 
the  existence  of  Abraham. — "  The  covenant  which  I  made 
with  your  fathers  in  the  day  when  I  took  them  out  of  Egypt.** 

2.  The  apostle,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  8th  and  9th 
chapters,  quotes  this  passage,  and  explains  it  of  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  dispensations..  The  Levitical  priesthood  and 
the  sacrifices,  the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture,  were  all  laid 
aside.  These  are  particularly  referred  to  by  Paul,  as  mat- 
ters appertaining  to  that  covenant  which  was  done  away. 

3.  The  neH)  covenant  is  not  called  new,  in  distinction  from 
the  Abrahamic  covenant,  but  from  the  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical  establishments  of  the  Jewish  nation.  A  new  dispen- 
sation had  commenced,  and  the  old  was  expected  to  vanish 
away.  4.  Another  consideration  is,  that  the  new  covenant 
is  expressed  in  almost  the  same  language  with  the  Abra- 


40  HOtJSEKOLD    COJfSECRATION. 

hamic  covenant.  The  main  promise  is  the  same,  "  I  will 
be  their  God  and  they  shall  be  my  people."  In  it  God  pro* 
:  mises  to  put  his  law  in  their  hearts,  and  to  prevent  the  final 
apostasy  of  his  redeemed  children  from  his  service.  This  is 
■the  covenant  of  grace.  The  Abrahamic  covenant  breathes 
the  same  spirit,  and  is  the  covenant  of  grace  brought  into  pub- 
lic profession,  and  extending  its  promise  to  parents  in  behalf 
of  their  children.  This  passage,  therefore,  strongly  evinces 
that  the  ancient  household  covenant  is  not  abolished. 

The  expression  in  Daniel  ii.  44,  is  also  produced  by 
some,  to  prove  that  the  two  dispensations  were  in  truth  two 
distinct  Churches  ;  or  that  the  present  Church  commenced 
its  existence  with  the  advent  of  Christ.  "  In  the  days  of  those 
kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom  that  shall 
never  be  destroyed."  Are  we  to  understand  that  God  had 
no  spiritual  kingdom  before  the  coming  of  the  Saviour  ?  This 
we  know  is  an  unscriptural  sentiment.  Hundreds  of  years 
before  the  Messiah  came,  the  harps  of  Judah  had  chanted 
the  glories  of  the  kingdom  of  grace.  It  should  be  consider, 
ed,  therefore,  that  this  prophecy  was  spoken  in  view  of  the 
perishable  kingdoms  of  earth ;  and  while  Assyria,  Persia, 
Greece,  and  Rome>  were  successively  overthrown,  the  pro- 
phet saw  the  pure  gospel  winning  its  way  triumphant  over 
the  obstacles  in  its  pathj  and  finally  established  in  a  com* 
plete  ascendancy  throughout  the  world.  There  was,  there* 
fore,  a  propriety  in  calling  the  commencement  of  a  new 
administration  the  setting  up  of  a  kingdom.  Since,  there* 
fore,  this  passage  cannot  mean  that  God  had  no  spiritual 
kingdom  before ;  since  it  cannot  mean  that  one  kingdom  of 
God  was  destroyed  in  order  to  establish  another,  there  be- 
ing  no  intimation  of  this  in  the  passage  ;  since,  too,  the  in- 
terpretation we  have  suggested  is  the  fair  and  obvious  con- 
struction ;  it  is  manifest  that  the  passage  does  not  authorize 


nOUSEHOLO   CONSECRATION.  41 

the  sentiment,  that  the  Abrahamic  covenant  is  abolished. 
If  neither  of  these  passages  inculcate  that  doctrine,  I  am 
fully  persuaded  that  it  will  not  be  found  in  the  Bible. 

The  distinction  we  have  made  between  the  covenant 
made  with  Abraham,  and  extending  its  glorious  promises 
to  his  children;  and  the  covenant  of  national  customs  and 
ecclesiastical  ceremonies,  enjoined  upon  the  Jews,  is  abun- 
dantly sanctioned.  The  covenant  of  Sinai  gendereth  to 
bondage,  but  that  of  faith  is  full  of  free  and  cheering  pro- 
mises. Now  we,  brethren,  as  Isaac  was,  are  children  of 
promise.  Isaac  was  a  child  consecrated  to  God  under  the 
sealed  covenant,  and  was  indeed  a  child  of  promise.  By 
exercising  the  faith  of  his  patriarchal  father,  he  too  could 
bring  his  children  to  the  altar  of  consecration,  and  pledge 
a  father's  faithfulness,  and  plead  Jehovah's  grace. 

As  the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  system  of  rites  and  cere- 
monies did  not  invalidate  the  original  gracious  covenant,  so 
the  enacting  of  those  regulations  did  not  disannul  the  pro*, 
mise.  Hence  the  covenant  of  promise  could  remain  when 
these  superincumbent  things  were  removed,  to  cheer  us  and 
bless  us  with  all  its  undiminished  privileges.  Thus,  in  Gal. 
iii.  17,  we  read, "  And  this  I  say,  that  the  covenant  that  was 
confirmed  before  of  God  in  Christ,  the  law,  which  was  four 
hundred  and  thirty  years  after,  cannot  disannul,  that  it  should 
make  the  promise  of  none  effect.^^  Notwithstanding,  then,  any 
changes  which  may  have  occurred  since,  in  the  circum- 
stances of  the  Jewish  nation,  the  great  and  invaluable  Abra- 
hamic covenant  retains  its  unchanging  truth. 

If,  then,  this  covenant  is  founded  on  such  imperishable 
reasons,  if  it  is  so  well  adapted  to  the  necessities  of  our  race 
throughout  the  revolutions  of  time,  if  it  promises  blessings 
of  the  soul  to  the  parent  in  behalf  of  his  immortal  offspring, 
if  it  is  proclaimed  an  everlasting  covenant,  and  if  it  is  no 
4* 


42  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

where  iri  sacred  Scripture  abolished,  it  certainly  comes  be- 
fore us  with  a  most  impressive  aspect. 

2.  God  has  confirmed  this  covenant^  instead  of  aholisk" 
ing  it. 

In  the  delightful  comparison  of  Paul  between  Moses  and 
Christ,  this  sentiment  appears  to  be  decidedly  inculcated. 
Moses  was  a  servant,  and  faithful  in  all  his  house,,  for  a 
testimony  of  those  things  which  were  to  be  spoken  after. 
In  all  that  Moses  did,  he  acted  not  as  a  son,  but  as  a  ser- 
Vant ;  was  not  proprietor  of  the  house,  but  merely  a  servant 
of  the  proprietor.  Christ  acts  as  a  son  ;  and  he  has  more 
honor  than  Moses,  inasmuch  as  he  who  hath  huilded  the 
house  hath  more  honor  than  the  house.  According  to  this 
argument,  Moses  himself,  considered  spiritually,  was  the 
workmanship,  z.  e.  the  building  of  Christ.  He  himself  was 
a  part  of  that  house  in  which  he  was  called  to  serve.  The 
apostle,  however,  declares,  that  we,  i.  e,  believers,  are 
ChrisVs  house,  and  that  Christ  is  over  his  own  house ;  there- 
fore Christ  was  over  Moses,  as  he  is  over  us,  over  ancient 
believers,  over  those  of  later  ages,  over  all  believers  of 
every  age,  as  constituting  one  spiritual  body  ;  one  spiritual 
house,  of  which  he  is  the  head.  According  to  this  view  of 
the  subject,  the  Church  has  ever  been  one  in  both  dispen- 
sations, and  the  covenant  confirmed  before  of  God  in  Christ, 
is  thus  confirmed  through  all  time  by  the  reigning  glory  of 
the  Messiah.  In  Gal.  iii.  15,  we  read,  "  Brethren,  we  speak 
after  the  manner  of  men.  Though  it  be  but  a  man's  cove- 
nant,  yet,  if  it  be  confirmed,  no  man  disannulleth  or  addeth 
thereto."  The  covenant,  then,  which  God  made  with  Abra- 
ham, is  confirmed  unto  every  believer  on  the  same  terms, 
and  is  wisely  calculated  to  waft  the  blessing  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  We  are  now  prepared  for  the  third  po- 
sition, that. 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  43 

3.   This  covenant  is  not  only  confirmed,  hut  distinctly 
transferred,  with  all  its  privileges,  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  proof  of  this  position  is  contained  in  many  passages 
of  scripture.  In  (xal.  iii.  13, 14,  it  is  said,  "  Christ  hath  re- 
deemed us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for 
us  J  for  it  is  written.  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a 
tree.  That  the  blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the 
Gentiles  through  Jesus  Christ ;  that  we  might  receive  the 
promise  of  the  Spirit  through  faith"  The  great  doctrine 
of  justification  by  faith,  in  the  atoning  Saviour,  is  here 
clearly  taught,  and  in  view  of  the  general  atonement  the 
invitations  of  mercy  have  been  sent  out  to  the  Gentile. 
The  atonement  was  necessary  in  order  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  might  consistently  bestow  his  influences  upon  the  hu- 
man race,  and  therefdre,  it  is  through  the  doctrine  of  the 
atonement  that  the  design  of  blessing  the  successive  gene- 
rations of  men  has  been  formed.  When,  therefore,  the 
Saviour  is  said  to  have  suffered,  that  the  blessing  of  Abra- 
ham might  come  on  the  Gentiles,  and  that  he  might  receive 
the  promise,  it  is  certainly  meant  that  we  also  should  be 
justified  by  the  same  faith,  and  that  we  should  possess  with 
him  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  in  behalf  of  our  children. 
This  was  the  blessing  which  Abraham  possessed,  and  this 
was  the  promise  in  which  his  parental  heart  delighted. 
The  passage,  therefore,  is  conclusive  in  proving  that  Gentile 
Christians  are  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  of  the  ancient 
covenant.  *'  Knoiv  ye,  therefore,  that  they  which  be  of  faith 
are  blessed  with  faithful  Abraham"  How  explicit :  how 
positive  :  how  precious  is  the  assurance !  Gal.  iii.  26-29  : 
*'  For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus. 
For  as  many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ, 
have  put  on  Christ.  There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there 
is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is  neither  male  nor  female ; 
for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus.     And  if  ye  be  Christ's, 


44  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

then  are  ye  AhrahanCs  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  pro- 
mise.^^  This  last  verse  most  surely  implies  that  all  Chris- 
tians are  the  spiritual  seed  of  Abraham,  and  that  therefore 
they  are  heirs  of  the  promise  with  Abraham,  and  have  the 
same  title  with  him  to  all  its  privileges.  In  the  fourth  chap- 
ter of  Romans,  the  admission  of  the  Gentile  believers,  into 
these  exalted  privileges,  is  inculcated  with  great  force,  ex- 
plicitness,  and  satisfaction.  There  it  is  asserted,  that  he  re- 
ceived circumcision  as  a  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  the 
faith  which  he  had  being  uncircumcised,  that  he  might  be 
the  father  of  all  them  that  believe,  though  they  be  not  cir- 
cumcised. Therefore  it  is  offaithf  that  it  might  be  by  grace, 
to  the  end  that  the  promise  might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed. 

If,  then,  the  promise  to  Abraham  was,  that  God  would 
be  a  God  to  him  and  to  his  seed  after  him ;  if  he  received 
this  promise  through  faith  in  the  Redeemer ;  if  this  im- 
plied great  encouragement  to  him  to  labor  for  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  his  children  ;  if  this  covenant  is  founded  on  im- 
mutable principles,  and  is  not  abolished,  but  solemnly  con- 
firmed ;  if  the  great  embankments,  which  for  ages  had 
kept  the  waters  of  holy  influence  in  one  solitary  channel^ 
were  torn  away  when  the  Saviour  came,  that  the  blessing  of 
Abraham  might  flow  to  the  Gentiles  ;  and  if,  finally,  every 
real  believer  is  counted  as  a  descendant  of  Abraham,  and  if 
the  promise  is  sure  to  all  his  seed,  is  not  the  evidence  abun- 
dantly decisive,  as  to  the  right  of  Christians  to  that  same 
household  promise,  that  same  covenant  of  generations  ? 
There  is,  however,  one  more  position,  which  will  serve  to 
make  the  argument  more  impressive. 

4.  This  covenant  is  not  only  bestowed  upon  the  Gentilest 
but  it  is  even  bestowed  upon  us  at  the  expense  of  the  Jews, 

The  full  import  of  this  last  statement  may  be  seen  in  a 
candid  exposition  of  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Romans.  The 
Jews,  the  natural  branches,  are  there  represented  as  broken 


HOtrSEUDLD   CONSECRATION.  45 

off  from  their  own  olive-tree,  and  the  Gentiles  as  taken 
From  the  wild  olive-tree  of  nature,  and  graffed  into  the  olive- 
tree  of  grace,  into  the  Church  of  the  living  God,  to  be 
nourished  by  the  root  and  fatness  of  new  covenant  privi- 
ieges.  No  new  olive-tree  is  planted,  but  the  Gentiles  are 
represented  as  graffed  into  the  old  olive-tree,  into  the  same 
privileges  which  the  Jews  by  their  outrageous  unbelief  had 
forfeited. 

If,  now,  any  one  wishes  to  gain  just  impressions  of  the 
value  of  this  covenant,  let  him  consider,  1st.  The  poor  Jews 
broken  off  and  abandoned  to  perpetual  unbelief  and  dark* 
ntss.  From  generation  to  generation  the  same  hard-heart- 
ed infidelity  travels  on.  No  light  seems  to  find  its  way 
into  their  spiritual  condition,  no  arguments  have  power  to 
dispel  their  delusions,  no  amount  of  evidence  is  equal  to  the 
work  of  conviction.  Can  any  one  look  upon  thai  long 
continued  moral  wreck,  and  not  remember  the  apostolic 
prapliecy  1  Wrath  Tia$  come  upon  them  to  the  uttermost. 
Can  any  mind  study  that  mournful  history,  and  not  tremble 
a1  the  thought  of  perverted  family  influence  ? 

Yet,  amidst  these  paii»ful  emotions,  consider,  2d.  The 
power  of  ike  ancient  covenant  in  securing  their  restoration  ! 
G<»d  hath  not  finally  cast  away  that  people.  Their  delu- 
sions  shall  speedily  vanish  ;  their  long,  heavy  night  of  thick 
darkness  shall  be  turned  into  refulgent  morning.  For  God 
will  remember  the  covenant  Which  he  made  with  Abraham. 
In  this  respect,  their  tenacious  observance  of  their  Jewish 
ritas  ;md  ceremonies ;  their  preservition  as  a  distinct  peo. 
pie  in  all  their  wanderings ;  their  universal  abhorrence  of 
idolatry,  a  sin  to  which  their  falhers  were  so  much  addict- 
ed :  all  these  are  scarcely  less  adapted  to  the  doctrine  of 
their  restoration,  than  is  their  blindness  or  their  obstinacy 
to  the  fulfilment  of  the  terrible  sentence  of  their  righteous 
Judge. 


f46  HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION. 

If,  then,  it  is  a  fact,  that  such  judgments  follow  the  per- 
version of  these  great  covenant  truths ;  if  it  be  so  that  our 
only  hope  of  redemption  is  in  the  far  reaching  grasp  of  that 
patriarchal  covenant ;  if,  through  this  most  melancholy  fall 
of  theirs,  salvation  has  come  to  the  Gentiles ;  if,  coming 
with  no  stinted  measure,  she  has  brought  the  fulness  of  all 
those  heav<;n-born  privileges,  and  poured  them  at  our  feet, 
shall  we  not  prfy-e  an  inheritance  for  ourselves  and  our  off- 
spring in  that  everlasting  covenant  ?  Shall  we  not  feel  our- 
selves bound  by  every  persuasive  motive  to  affix  its  seal — 
whatever  that  seal  may  be — upon  our  immortal  children  ?  ; 

The  conclusion  to  which  we  are  conducted  is,  that  since 
God  has  not  abolished  the  Abraharnic  covenant ;  since  he 
has  positively  confirmed  it  in  the  gospel  dispensation  ;  since 
he  has  even  bestowed  it  explicitly,  with  all  its  immunities, 
upon  the  Gentile  believers ;  since,  finally,  he  has  even  done 
this  at  fearful  expense  to  the  original  proprietors  themselves, 
it  is  the  certain'privilege  of  every  believing  parent  to  conse» 
crate  his  children  to  God  on  the  terms  of  that  covenant ; 
and  it  is  his  solemn  duty  to  affix  the  appropriate  token  of 
faith  and  promise  upon  them,  according  to  the  example  of 
the  Church  for  almost  four  thousand  years. 


CHAPTER   V. 

The  change  of  the  seal.      Circumcision  abolished.      Baptism  aubsJi- 
tuted. 

Having  discussed  the  nature  of  the  Abrahamic  cove- 
nant, and  the  right  of  behevers  in  all  places  and  times  to 
its  glorious  privileges,  we  shall  proceed  to  prove, 

III.  That  baptism  is  now,  in  the  place  of  circumcision, 
its  authorized  and  appropriate  seal. 

We  hope  it  will  be  remembered,  that  the  existence  o€ 
infant  consecration,  as  an  institution  of  Heaven,  founded  on 
unchanging  reasons,  and  secured  by  a  perpetual  covenant, 
whose  duties  and  blessings  are  extended  with  the  whoJe 
extent  of  the  gospel  itself,  has  been  already  abundantly 
proved.  However,  therefore,  the  present  question  may  be 
determined,  the  duty  of  parents  in  some  form  to  dedicate 
their  households  to  God,  is  even  in  the  present  stage  of  the 
argument  perfectly  clear.  It  will  be  seen,  moreover,  that 
the  facts  and  principles  already  established  will  not  only 
harmonize  with  the  sentiment,  that  baptism  is  now  the  seal, 
but  will  even  constrain  us  to  its  adoption.  We  therefore 
consider  it  the  duty  of  parents  to  consecrate  their  children 
to  God  by  baptism,  for  the  following  reasons : 

1.  It  is  certain  that  circumcision  is  abolished.  By  this 
I  do  not  mean  that  circumcision  is  abolished  merely  as  a 
form  of  infant  consecration,  but  as  a  seal  of  the  covenant, 
either  for  adults  or  infants.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
circumcision  was  for  adults  as  well  as  for  infants.  Abra- 
ham dedicated  himself  to  God  in  this  form.     When  the 


48  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

Christian  dispensation  commenced,  the  Jews,  understanding 
that  believing  Gentiles  were  to  be  admitted  to  the  Church, 
the  ancient  Church,  with  all  its  undiminished  privileges — the 
Jewish  Church  even,  for  Christianity  commenced  its  earliest 
establishments  among  the  Jews,  and  Jews  were  its  earliest 
and  most  successful  preachers — thought  that  the  Gentiles 
ought  to  be  circumcised.  The  question  was  referred  to 
the  apostles ;  and  they  decided  that  this  yoke  was  not  to  be 
put  upon  the  Gentiles,  because  it  was  a  yoke  which  neither 
they  nor  their  fathers  were  able  to  hear.  This  passage  of 
course  decides  the  case  of  the  Gentiles.  Circumcision  is 
certainly  abolished,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned.  Hence 
the  conclusion,  that  as  we  are  introduced  into  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  children  of  Abraham,  we  are  to  con- 
secrate our  children  to  God,  in  the  use  of  some  other  seal. 
I  am  prepared  to  go  farther,  and  say  circumcision  is  abo- 
lished as  far  as  Jewish  Christians  are  concerned.  The 
reasons  assigned  by  the  apostle  for  not  requiring  it  among 
the  Gentiles  are  equally  valid  for  its  abolition  among  the 
Jews — which  neither  we  nor  our  fathers  ii^re  able  to  hear. 
In  this  expression  they  did  not  consider  circumcision  merely 
as  a  form  of  infant  consecration,  but  as  a  rite  binding  them, 
in  the  circumstances,  to  certain  other  rites  and  ceremonies, 
which  constituted  the  ritual  service  of  the  old  dispensation. 
He  that  is  circumcised  is  a  debtor  to  keep  the  v>hole  law — 
i.  e.  to  observe  all  those  rights  and  ceremonies.  As,  there- 
fore, circumcision  had  served  this  temporary  purpose,  of 
binding  the  ancient  son  of  the  sealed  covenant  to  the  heavy 
and  cumbersome  observances  with  which,  for  wise  reasons, 
it  was  associated  until  the  fulness  of  times,  it  was  very 
reasonable  that  now,  when  that  whole'system  of  carnal  ordi- 
nances was  to  be  abolished,  a  new  and  better  rite  should 
be  substituted,  as  a  seal  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  while 
this  should  be  lefl  gradually  to  vanish  away.    With  these 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  49 

scriptural  and  rational  views,  the  whole  history  of  the  apos- 
tolic Church  perfectly  corresponds  ;  and  all  the  language 
of  apostolic  scripture  corroborates  it.  While,  therefore, 
these  reasons  for  its  abolition  existed,  the  reasons  for  the 
selection  of  that  particular  form  had  ceased  to  exist.  If 
that  form  served  to  indicate  the  cleansing  of  sin  by  bloodf 
now  the  blood  of  atonement  had  been  already  shed.  If 
that  form  served  to  secure  the  coming  of  the  Saviour  as 
a  descendant  of  Abraham  by  keeping  the  nation  distinct, 
the  Saviour  had  now  come,  and  that  particular  purpose  was 
no  longer  necessary.  If  that  form  had  long  been  associated 
with  the  observance  of  the  ceremonial  law,  now  since  the 
ceremonial  law  had  expired,  it  was  well  that  the  association 
of  the  mind  should  be  changed,  and  a  new  form,  bearing  a 
similar  relation  to  the  contents  of  the  new  dispensation, 
which  this  had  borne  to  the  old,  and  sustaining  to  the  ever* 
lasting  covenant  itself  all,  and  even  more  than  all,  the 
appropriateness  which  this  had  ever  sustained,  should  be 
substituted  in  its  place.  Since,  then,  the  covenant  remains, 
with  all  its  reasons,  privileges,  and  authority,  unabolished, 
confirmed,  extended,  and  this  at  great  expense,  it  must  pos- 
sess  some  appropriate  and  authentic  seal.  Since  circum» 
cision  is  displaced  from  that  exalted  honor,  some  other  seal 
must  have  been  provided.  Whatever  that  new  seal  is,  it 
is  the  duty  and  the  privilege  of  the  Christian  parent  to  apply 
it  to  himself  and  his  offspring,  because  he  is  an  heir  of  that 
same  gracious  and  unchanging  covenant,  and  the  applica- 
tion of  its  seal  is  the  direct  and  public  profession  of  faith  in 
its  provisions. 

2.  Whatever  that  new  seal  is,  there  is  but  one  seal,  one 
form  of  dedication,  both  for  the  parent  and  the  child.  This 
was  the  case  in  the  ancient  administration  of  the  Abrahamic 
covenant.  Then  both  the  believing  adult  and  his  infant 
child  were  circumcised.  Faith  was  an  indispensable  con- 
6 


50  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

ditlon  on  the  part  of  Abraham,  and  his  entrance  into  this 
ecclesiastical  covenant  was  an  act  of  solemn  profession. 
He  thereby  declared  his  dependence  for  salvation  on  a 
Saviour  to  come,  and  dedicated  by  the  same  rite  both  him- 
self and  his  household  to  the  God  of  the  covenant.  His 
faith  respecting  his  own  justification,  and  respecting  the 
promises  of  God  to  his  children,  each  terminated  upon  Jesus 
Christ  as  its  all-sufficient  object.  It  was  proper,  therefore, 
that  it  should  be  expressed  in  the  same  manner,  indicated 
by  the  same  rite,  and  lay  fast  hold  of  the  covenant  by  the 
same  divinely  appointed  seal.  Since,  then,  the  spiritual  co- 
Venant  itself  remains ;  since  remaining,  it  must  have  some 
seal  or  token  by  which  our  consent  to  its  arrangements 
shall  be  publicly  given  ;  and  since  the  new  seal  must 
therefore  be  the  same  in  the  coniSecration  of  the  child  as  in 
the  consecration  of  the  parent*  it  Conclusively  follows,  that 
whatever  rite  or  form  is  now  the  seal  of  the  covenant  to  the 
beheving  adult,  is  of  course  to  be  applied  to  the  consecra* 
tion  of  his  offspring. 

3.  Baptism  by  Water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  is  the  seal  of  the  covenant  to  all  believers. 
That  baptism  is  the  ordinance  by  which  the  adult  believer 
professes  his  faith  in  Christ,  his  dependence  on  the  regene* 
rating  and  sanctifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  his 
entire  dedication  of  himself  to  the  Most  High,  is  a  fact  well 
known  to  all  those  who  are  at  all  familiar  with  the  contents 
of  the  New  Testament.  *'  Go  ye,  and  teach  all  nations, 
baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  "  He  that  believeth  and  is  bap- 
tized shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  belieVeth  not  shall  be 
damned."  The  numerous  instances  of  baptism  mentioned 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  epistolary  addresses  to 
those  who  are  members  of  the  Church,  enforcing  the  ob- 
ligation of  their  baptismal  engagements,  are  sufficient  proof 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  51 

of  the  sentiment  that  baptism  is  the  authorized  mode  of 
Christian  consecration.  That  baptism  is  the  appropriate 
seal  of  the  gracious  covenant,  is  an  irresistible  inference 
from  the  positions  already  established.  We  have  proved 
that  the  covenant  with  Abraham  was  a  spiritual  covenant ; 
that  its  spiritual  provisions  are  extended  to  the  Gentiles,  and 
that  in  baptism  the  believer  expresses  that  faith  by  which 
he  appropriates  to  himself  its  invaluable  blessings,  and 
therefore  baptism  is  the  seal  to  him  of  the  covenant  into 
which  he  enters.  If,  then,  it  is  certain  that  this  covenant 
requires  the  consecration  of  his  children,  and  promises  spiri- 
tual blessings  to  him  on  their  behalf ;  if  the  same  seal  is 
to  be  applied  to  the  child  which  is  applied  to  the  adult,  then 
the  duty  and  the  privilege  of  the  Christian  parent  to  dedi- 
cate his  household  to  God  by  baptism  is  clearly  and  incon- 
testably  established.  That  baptism  is  now,  in  the  place  of 
circumcision,  the  appropriate  seal,  will  be  evident  from  a 
consideration  of  the  points  of  resemblance. 

Both  are  seals  of  the  righteousness  of  faith.  The  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  faith  in  a  Mediator  has  ever  been  the 
cardinal  doctrine  of  the  Church.  The  apostle  Paul,  when 
proving  this  fundamental  sentiment,  in  view  of  those  who 
had  sought  salvation  in  strict  adherence  to  mere  carnal  ob- 
servances, produces  the  example  of  all  the  holy  men  of  old, 
showing  that  from  the  days  of  Abel  to  his  own,  the  whole 
noble  army  of  confessors  were  witnesses  to  the  truth  of  hig 
doctrine.  Respecting  Abraham  he  positively  asserts,  in 
Romans  iv.  11,  "That  he  received  the  sign  of  circumcision 
as  a  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  the  faith  which  he  had  yet 
being  uncircumcised."  Circumcision  was  therefore  a  seal 
of  the  righteousness  o^ faith.  The  great  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  faith  alone  was  signified  in  it,  and  the  covenant 
of  mercy  was  thereby  sealed  between  God  and  the  believer. 
Need  I  even  tarry  to  prove  that  baptism  is  a  seal  of  the 


52  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

righteousness  of  faith?  "Believe  and  be  baptized,"  **  If 
thou  belie  vest  with  all  thy  heart,  thou  mayest."  As  an- 
ciently no  adult  could  be  circumcised  without  believing,  so 
now  no  adult  can  be  baptized  without  believing. 

In  the  ancient  days  the  believer  professed  faith  in  a 
Saviour  to  come;  in  the  new  dispensation  the  believer 
professes  faith  in  a  Saviour  that  has  already  come.  In  both 
cases  the  believer  was  justified  by  his  faith,  and  the  circum- 
cision then  was  what  the  baptism  is  now,  a  seal  of  his 
gracious  justification. 

To  each,  faith  is  an  indispensable  condition  in  the  same 
sense.  The  inquiry  sometimes  rises,  How  can  the  baptism 
of  children  be  consistent  with  the  command  to  lelieve  and 
be  baptized  ?  An  attention  to  the  point  of  resemblance  will 
answer  the  inquiry.  Abraham  could  not  be  circumcised 
himself  until  he  had  given  evidence  of  his  faith.  The  un- 
baptized  adult  believer  cannot  now  be  baptized  without 
giving  evidence  o[ faith.  The  commands  to  believe  and  be 
baptized  in  the  New  Testament  are  not  addressed  to  infants, 
but  to  adult  unbelievers.  So  under  the  old  dispensation. 
The  adult  heathen  who  came  to  be  circumcised  as  did 
Abraham,  was  to  believe  first  and  then  to  be  circumcised. 
In  this  respect,  therefore,  the  command,  so  far  as  it  relates 
to  adults,  is  precisely  the  same,  requiring  faith  first,  and 
then  offering  circumcision  or  baptism  as  a  seal  of  the  right- 
eousness of  the  faith  exercised  previous  to  participation  in 
the  ordinance. 

Nor  is  the  resemblance  less  complete  in  respect  to  the 
consecration  of  children.  The  ancient  believer  presented 
his  household,  by  circumcision,  to  that  God  to  whom  he  had 
first,  with  inward  sincerity  and  with  external  rite,  conse- 
crated himself.  Even  where  the  parent  was  him.self  a  child 
of  the  covenant  in  his  infancy,  and  circumcised  at  eight 
days  old,  he  was  expected,  by  living  faith,  to  act  when  he 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  53 

dedicated  his  offspring  to  the  God  of  his  fathers.  Thus 
Isaac  consecrated  Jacob  and  Esau.  Thus  Jacob  devoted 
his  group  of  young  patriarchs  to  the  God  of  Abraham, 
Faith  in  the  Shiloh  of  future  times  was  essential  to  the  ac, 
ceptable  performance  of  the  severe  but  significant  cere* 
mony.  Now  if  the  positions  we  have  taken  be  correct,  and 
baptism  is  to  be  applied  as  a  seal  of  the  covenant  to  the  chil- 
dren of  believers,  faith,  of  course,  is  professedly  exercised 
by  every  parent  who  claims,  in  behalf  of  his  household,  the 
privilege  of  consecration.  The  practice  of  admitting  pa- 
rents,  who  merely  assented  to  the  confession  of  faith  with 
the  understanding,  to  present  their  households  for  baptism, 
was  utterly  unauthorized,  and  in  direct  violation  of  all  the 
terms  of  the  covenant.  The  plan  of  the  half-way  covenant, 
as  it  was  called,  was  not  only  unauthorized,  but  it  was  a 
direct  and  sacrilegious  perversion  of  these  spiritual  and  glo- 
rious privileges.  When  the  jailer  heard  the  apostolic  direc- 
tion, the  voice  said,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shall  he  saved  and  thyhouse,^''  It  is  true,  the  ordinance 
can  be  administered  when  but  one  of  the  parents  is  a  be- 
liever ;  but,  in  such  cases,  the  parental  relation  is  regarded 
as  sanctified  in  consequence  of  the  believer's  faith.  "  E)lse 
were  your  children  unclean,  but  now  are  they  holy."  I? 
it  not,  then,  perfectly  evident,  that  faith  was  equally  essen-^ 
tial  to  circumcision  as  it  is  now  to  baptism ;  and  in  both 
cases,  is  it  not  an  indispensable  condition,  in  the  same  sense 
and  in  all  respects  ? 

Both  denote  the  same  spiritual  change. 

That  the  depraved  heart  of  man  must  be  renewed  by 
the  efficacious  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  a  most  important 
doctrine  of  the  Christian  religion.  The  claims  of  God  are 
upon  every  individual,  through  the  whole  course  of  moral 
action,  and  these  claims  are  in  every  instance  resisted 
where  the  selfish  heart  is  not  changed  by  the  sanctification 
5* 


54  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRA.TION. 

of  the  spirit.  When  God  demands  of  every  believing  pa- 
rent, that  he  shall  yield  up  his  child  to  these  supreme  and 
righteous  claims,  and  shall  consecrate  him  forever  to  his 
service,  he  has  rendered  the  very  form  of  consecration  an 
impressive  memento  of  the  necessity  of  regeneration,  and 
held  up  to  the  anxious  hope  of  the  parent  a  cheerful  and 
animating  promise  :  "  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  thy  seed 
and  my  Messing  upon  thine  offspring.''^  Accordingly,  both 
in  the  ancient  and  the  modern  form,  the  purification  of  the 
heart  by  divine  grace  is  the  great  doctrine  most  prominent- 
ly illustrated,  whether  the  individual  consecrated  be  an 
adult  or  infant.  "  For  he  is  not  a  Jew  which  is  one  outwardly ^ 
neither  is  that  circumcision  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh  :  hut 
he  is  a  Jew  which  is  one  inwardly;  and  circumcision  is  that 
of  the  hearty  in  the  spirit,  and  not  in  the  letter ,  whose  praise 
is  not  of  men  but  of  God."  From  this  passage  it  is  evident 
that  the  spiritual  import  of  circumcision  is  not  realized  unless 
the  inner  man  is  renewed.  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will  cir- 
cumcise thine  hearty  arid  the  heart  o^ihy  seedy  to  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  that 
thou  mayest  live.  Circumcision,  therefore,  was  truly  "  an 
outward  and  visible  sign  of  an  inward  and  spiritual  grace." 
It  signified  that  surrender  of  the  heart  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  that  spiritual  dedication  to  his  service,  which  is 
the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  in  every  instance  of  its  occurrence^ 
either  in  the  present  or  in  former  dispensations.  That  the 
ordinance  of  baptism  denotes  precisely  the  same  thing,  is 
abundantly  manifest  from  the  sacred  Scriptures  :  ''  The  like 
figure  whereunto,  baptism  doth  also  now  save  us ;  not  the 
putting  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a 
good  conscience  toward  God" — the  response  of  a  regene- 
rated  heart  to  the  calls  of  Jehovah.  "  Then  will  I  sprinkle 
clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean ;  from  all  your 
filthinesSf  and  from  all  your  idols  loilll  cleanse  you,  A  new 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  55 

heart  also  will  I  give  you^  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  with' 
in  you^  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your 
Jlesh,  and  will  give  you  a  heart  ofjlesh,"  Ezekiel  xxxvi. 
26.  The  import  of  the  word,  and  the  ordinance,  baptism, 
is  purification :  the  external  application  of  the  purifying  ele- 
ment is  emblematic  of  the  inward  operations  of  the  purify- 
ing Spirit.  Hence  said  Ananias  to  Saul,  "  And  now,  why 
tarriest  thou  ?  arise,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  thy 
sins."  It  is  certain,  therefore,  that  both  circumcision  and 
baptism  denote  an  inward  and  spiritual  change,  and  indicate 
the  same  great  regenerating  process.  The  resemblance  is 
perfect,  in  extending  the  comparison,  either  to  adults  or 
children.  The  adult  believer  received  circumcision  as  a 
token  of  his  inward  and  spiritual  grace ;  and  dedicated,  by 
the  same  form,  his  children,  as  a  sign  of  their  necessity,  and 
of  God's  promise  in  reference  to  the  Spirit's  work  within. 
The  adult  believer  receives  baptism  as  a  token  of  the  same 
inward  cleansing,  in  his  own  case,  and  dedicates  his  child  in 
the  same  form,  indicating  the  same  necessity,  and  the  same 
glorious  promise,  which  was  anciently  represented  by  cir- 
cumcision. If,  then,  the  covenant  remains,  promising  spi- 
ritual blessings  to  parents  on  behalf  of  their  children ;  if 
circumcision,  the  ancient  seal,  is  abolished  ;  and  if  baptism, 
introduced  at  the  very  time  of  its  abolition,  certainly  signi- 
fies the  very  same  thing  that  circumcision  did,  then  is  it  not 
conclusively  established,  that  baptism  is  now  in  the  place  of 
circumcision  the  seal  of  that  everlasting  covenant  1  and 
that  the  form  of  consecration,  for  both  parent  and  child, 
appropriate  to  the  circumstances,  and  authorized  by  Christ, 
is  baptism,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 

Again  :  Baptism  is  to  the  Lord's  supper  what  circumci* 
sion  was  to  the  passover.  Those  that  were  admitted  to  the 
passover,  an  ordinance  originating  in  a  temporal  and  na- 


56  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

tional  deliverance,  but  so  appointed  as  to  be  representative 
of  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  analogous  to  the  design  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  were  the  consecrated  households  of  IsraeL 
Circumcision  preceded  the  reception  of  the  passover  ;  for, 
although  the  rite  itself  was  applied  to  the  males,  yet  the 
whole  household  was  considered  as  a  consecrated  house- 
hold. The  distinction  was  as  strongly  marked  between 
"  the  daughters  of  Israel"  and  "  the  daughters  of  the  uncir- 
cumcised,"  as  between  the  sons  of  Abraham  and  the  unco- 
venanted  Gentile.  The  children,  however,  were  not  admit- 
ted to  partake  of  the  passover,  until  they  were  of  sufficient 
age  to  understand  its  meaning,  and  approach  in  faith.  Ap- 
ply, now,  these  principles  to  the  relation  which  baptism 
sustains  to  the  Lord's  supper.  Baptism^  in  its  nature  adapt- 
ed to  all  classes,  is  evidently  considered,  in  the  Scripture, 
as  preceding  the  communion.  The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
supper  is  an  ordinance  for  professed  believers  only,  in  which 
they  unite  to  commemorate  their  spiritual  deliverance.  If 
it  is  asked  why  we  do  not  universally  admit  our  children 
to  the  communion,  the  answer  is,  that  we  do  admit  them 
just  as  soon  as  they  give  us  evidence  of  faith  in  Christ. 
Such  a  profession  was  implied  in  the  ancient  passover,  when 
it  was  celebrated  acceptably.  Yet  that  ordinance  had  a 
temporal  and  national  import,  as  well  as  a  spiritual  and 
typical  signification.  The  Christian  passover  has  no  such 
temporal  and  national  associations ;  it  is  an  ordinance  in 
its  design  and  recollections  altogether  spiritual.  The  bap- 
tized child  of  the  Church  is  therefore  told,  that  as  soon  as 
he  will  yield  to  the  righteous  claims  of  God,  and  to  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Spirit,  and  to  the  mediation  of  Christ,  the 
very  change  indicated  as  indispensable  in  his  baptism  itself, 
he  shall  be  welcomed  to  the  communion.  He  is  invited,  by 
all  the  proffered  advantages  of  a  spiritual  and  immediate 
union  with  the  Church,  to  acknowledge  the  justice  of  Jehc- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  57 

vah's  claims,  and  to  consecrate  himself,  in  heart  and  life,  to 
the  God  of  the  everlasting  covenant.  If  he  hardens  himself 
against  these  merciful  invitations,  he  is  admonished,  that  not 
by  the  will  of  the  Church,  but  by  his  own  inexcusable  dis- 
sent from  the  terms  of  the  covenant,  he  debars  himself  from 
its  glorious  privileges.  When  we  consider,  therefore,  the 
propriety  of  this  strictness  on  the  part  of  the  Church,  as 
viewed  in  connection  with  the  entirely  spiritual  nature  of 
the  Lord's  supper ;  and  then  compare  the  relation  of  cir- 
cumcision to  the  passover,  and  of  baptism  to  the  Lord's 
supper,  we  see  precisely  such  a  resemblance  as  the  great 
principles  of  the  covenant,  as  here  indicated,  must  logically 
authorize. 

Each  is  alike  a  distinguishing  mark  of  the  visible  Church, 
For  ages,  circumcision  thus  designated  the  people  of  God, 
and  was  employed  as  a  token  of  covenant  relationship. 
When  a  parent  neglected  to  circumcise  his  child,  that  child 
was  excluded  from  those  privileges  which  the  covenant  se- 
cured  to  the  children  of  his  people.  He  could  not  come  to 
the  passover,  nor  be  admitted  to  the  fellowship  of  the  an- 
cient Church.  When  a  heathen  family  would  seek  a  union 
with  the  congregation  of  the  Lord,  the  same  seal  of  the 
covenant  was  applied  to  them.  Since  circumcision  was 
abolished,  baptism  has  certainly  been  substituted  in  its  place 
in  this  respect.  The  child  of  a  Christian  parent  who  is  not 
baptized,  cannot  be  admitted  to  the  table  of  the  Lord.  The 
heathen  family  that  would  cast  away  the  idols  of  their 
former  worship,  and  join  the  Christian  Church,  must  be  bap- 
tized. When  persons  have  been  excluded  from  the  Church, 
whether  they  were  baptized  in  adult  age,  or  in  infancy, 
they  are  not  to  have  the  rite  repeated  on  their  readmission, 
after  giving  evidence  of  repentance. 

The  points  of  resemblance  already  mentioned,  are  of 
Such  a  nature,  that  if  admitted  as  facts,  they  sustain  incon- 


58  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

testably  the  position — ^that  baptism  has  been  substituted  in 
the  place  of  circumcision,  as  a  seal  of  the  Abrahamic  cove- 
nant. For  a  still  stronger  confirmation  of  this  argument, 
contemplate  the  points  of  difference.  Circumcision  was 
adapted  to  prefigure  a  Saviour  to  come ;  baptism,  to  pro- 
fess the  Saviour  already  incarnate.  Circumcision  was 
adapted  to  serve,  for  a  few  ages,  a  national  and  temporal 
purpose ;  baptism  comes  in  after  that  temporal  purpose  is 
accomplished,  and  the  national  partition  wall  is  demolished. 
Baptism  is  even  a  more  expressive  ordinance,  so  far  as 
spiritual  purification  is  concerned ;  expressive,  indeed,  of 
the  same  great  truths  which  circumcision  indicated,  but 
expressive  of  them  in  a  manner  more  appropriate  to  their 
clearer  developments.  Circumcision  was  applied  only  to 
one  sex,  while  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism  there  is  not  only 
"  neither  Jew  nor  Gentile,"  but  "  neither  male  nor  female, 
for  we  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus."  While,  therefore,  the 
points  of  resemblance  compel  us  to  regard  the  ordinance  of 
baptism  as  the  authorized  seal  of  the  covenant,  in  the  place 
of  circumcision,  inasmuch  as  it  does  actually  answer  all 
the  original  spiritual  purposes  of  such  a  seal,  and  is  divinely 
established  in  the  Christian  dispensation,  the  points  of  differ- 
ence do  as  truly  suggest  several  substantial  reasons  why  a 
change  of  the  seal  was  desirable.  Let  me  now  ask  the 
reflecting  reader  to  re-examine  the  several  positions  of  this 
number,  and  let  the  individual  strength  of  each  argument, 
and  the  combined  testimony  of  the  whole,  be  admitted  in 
the  final  settlement  of  this  important  question. 

Finally,  let  there  be  added  to  the  foregoing  considerations 
the  fact,  that  baptism  is  denominated  in  Scripture  the  Chris, 
tian  circumcision^  "  In  whom  also  ye  are  circumcised  with 
the  circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting  off*  the  body 
of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ." — 
"Buried  with  him  by  baptism."  Col,  ii.  U-^14.     "Beware 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  59 

of  the  concision ;  for  we  are  the  circumcision,  which  worship 
God  in  the  spirit,  and  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  have  no 
confidence  in  the  flesh."  Thus,  when  the  Jews  urged  the 
necessity  of  circumcision,  the  believing  Gentile  might  reply, 
If  circumcision  indicated  a  new  heart,  a  spiritual  religion, 
that  I  possess ;  if  circumcision  expressed  that  change  an- 
ciently, my  reception  of  Christian  baptism  has  expressed  it 
with  equal,  if  not  superior  emphasis.  According  to  the 
course  of  argument  through  which  we  have  passed,  circum- 
cision is  certainly  abolished ;  baptism  is  the  acknowledged 
seal  of  the  gracious  covenant  for  adult  believers ;  the  seal 
of  the  covenant  is  the  same  for  the  child  as  for  the  parent ; 
therefore,  as  the  covenant  itself  remains  with  all  its  privi- 
leges undiminished,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  believing  parent  to 
consecrate  his  children  to  God  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 
Since,  moreover,  the  fact  that  baptism  is  now  in  the  place 
of  circumcision,  the  seal  of  the  A brahamic  covenant,  is  sus- 
tained both  by  every  point  of  resemblance  and  diversity ;  it 
being  manifest  that  it  does  take  the  place  of  circumcision  as 
a  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  faith  ;  as  having  faith  for  its 
indispensable  condition  in  the  same  way  that  circumcision 
had  ;  as  a  sign  or  token  of  the  same  spiritual  change  ;  as  a 
distinguishing  mark  of  the  visible  Church;  the  very  points 
in  which  circumcision  itself  was  a  seal  of  the  covenant ; 
and  finally,  since  it  is  called  the  circumcision  of  Christ,  and 
answers  in  the  new  dispensation,  not  only  all  the  original 
purposes  of  circumcision  under  the  old,  but  all  the  more 
extensive  applications  of  the  covenant  under  the  new  dis- 
pensation, the  decision  appears  inevitable,  that  baptism  is 
noWf  in  the  place  of  circumcision,  the  authorized  and  appro- 
priate seal  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant. 

The  covenant  then  remains :  the  promise  of  spiritual 
blessings  in  behalf  of  children  is  sure  to  every  believer :  the 
seal  is  to  be  applied  to  both  parent  and  child ;  and  that  seal 


60  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

is  the  ordinance  of  Christian  baptism.  Dear  brethren  in 
Christ ;  how  precious,  how  infinitely  glorious  is  this  cove- 
nant ;  how  delightful  the  duty,  how  invaluable  the  privilege. 
When  you  consider  your  influence  and  responsibility  as 
parents ;  the  great  and  solemn  object  of  the  family  rela- 
tions ;  the  dreadful  depravity  of  your  unrenewed  oiTspring ; 
the  gracious  design  of  God  to  sanctify  your  pious  influence 
to  their  eternal  good ;  the  glorious  arrangement  of  patri- 
archal ages  in  which  he  requires  the  trembling  parent  to 
consecrate  his  household  to  him,  and  gives  his  promise,  his 
own  sure  word,  that  he  will  be  a  God  to  him  and  to  his 
seed,  affixing  to  this  covenant  a  delightful,  expressive,  and 
memorable  seal ;  O,  how  thrilling  is  the  thought !  This 
covenant !  these  promises  !  this  indulgent  God !  all  are 
mine  !  With  what  unutterable  tenderness  may  you  kneel 
at  the  family  altar  and  say,  Here  am  I  and  the  children 
which  thou  hast  given  me !  Christian !  this  covenant  is 
worth  more  to  you  than  worlds ! 


CHAPTERVI. 

Argument  from  Ecclesiastical  History.  Its  use.  Household  conse- 
cration, in  some  form,  the  uninterrupted  practice  of  the  Church 
during  four  thousand  years.  Not  neglected  by  any  considerable  por- 
tion until  within  three  hundred.  Consecration  by  baptism  not 
denied  by  any  sect  during  the  first  thousand  years  of  Christianity : 
n6t  commenced  at  any  period  since  the  apostolic  age — universally 
practised  in  the  fourth  century.  Its  previous  history  establishing 
its  apostolic  origin. 

The  manner  in  which  we  have  Contemplated  the  or- 
dinance of  infant  consecrationj  renders  it,  both  in  its  spirit 
and  form,  independent  of  the  testimony  of  the  ecclesiastical 
fathers.  The  Bible  alone  is  the  infallible  guide  of  Prote.«5t- 
ants*  There  on  the  firm  basis  of  scriptural  proof  let  it  rest, 
a  building  on  a  rock.  Were  it  manifest  from  ecclesiastical 
history,  that  the  whole  Church,  through  successive  ages> 
had  neglected  her  duty  and  her  privilege,  our  astonishment 
might  have  been  awakened,  while  our  confidence  in  the  per- 
petual covenant  remained  unshaken.  Planting  ourselves 
beside  its  pure  fountains,  we  could  call  upon  the  recreant 
Church  to  repent  of  her  sin,  and  partake  of  the  waters  she 
had  so  long  undervalued. 

The  argument  from  the  history  of  the  Church,  however, 
while  it  is  not  necessary  for  the  establishment  of  our  prin- 
ciples, has  several  important  uses.  It  is  in  itself  an  ar- 
gument distinct  and  overwhelming  ;  it  illustrates  and  im- 
presses the  conclusions  to  which  we  have  already  arrived, 
and  it  will  prepare  us  to  understand  a  portion  of  scriptural 
evidence  which  we  have  not  yet  examined. 

As  the  testimony  of  the  fathers  has  been  oflen  collected 
and  urged  by  able,  candid,  and  pious  men,  the  object  of  this 
6 


62  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION* 

chapter  will  be^  simply  to  present  a  few  grand  points  which 
are  conclusively  established,  and  which  constitute  the 
strength  of  the  argument. 

The  consecration  of  infants  ly  baptism  being  now  the 
general  practice  of  Christendom,  must  have  originated  either 
under  apostolic  authority,  or  at  some  period  subsequent* 
The  consecration  of  infants,  itself,  can  be  attributed  to  no 
later  period  than  the  days  of  Abraham.  The  adoption  of 
baptism  as  the  form,  if  an  unauthorized  ordinance  of  man, 
must  have  excited  attention,  provoked  opposition,  and  left 
after  its  prevalence  palpable  traces  of  its  origin.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  be  of  God,  we  shall  find  the  evidence  of  his- 
tory, at  every  ascending  height,  still  pointing  upward  to  the 
luminous  age  of  New  Testament  inspiration. 

1.  The  first  point  which  arrests  attention  in  a  general 
survey  of  historical  evidence,  is — That  it  cannot  he  proved 
that  the  practice  of  infant  consecration  has  eter  ceased  in  the 
Church  of  God,  since  it  was  established  in  the  Abrahamic 
covenant. 

This  is  the  impression  which  strikes  the  mind  Very  forci- 
bly, as  it  ponders  on  the  path  of  the  Church  through  all  the 
portions  of  her  eventful  history.  From  the  time  that  the 
Chaldean  shepherd  dedicated  his  household  to  the  present 
hour,  no  one  period,  however  brief,  can  be  designated 
when  We  can  say,  then  there  was  no  infant  consecration* 
Empires  have  fallen,  and  risen  and  fallen  ;  systems  of  na- 
tional law,  code  after  code,  which  in  the  science  of  juris- 
prudence appeared  as  monuments  of  intellectual  strength 
and  political  wisdom,  have  been  rolled  together  as  a  scroll ; 
while  the  deep,  unostentatious  household  law  has  continued 
like  a  cord  extended  through  successive  ages,  and  strung 
with  the  jewels  of  God.  Even  the  changing  features  of  the 
Church  itself  have  preserved  this  feature  unaltered.  The 
bondage  of  Egypt  ;  the  law  of  Sinai ;  the  ritual  observan* 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  63 

ces ;  the  splendor  of  the  temple  worship  ;  the  mournful 
captivity ;  the  Roman  yoke  ;  the  advent  of  Christ ;  the 
wonders  of  the  new  age ;  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews  ;  the 
introduction  of  the  Gentiles  into  their  forfeited  privileges ; 
the  pagan  persecution  ;  the  papal  corruption  ;  the  glorious 
Reformation  :  all  have  had  their  influence  on  the  aspect  of 
the  Church  ;  but  in  this  respect  the  great  body  of  the  Church 
has  remained  steadfast,  that  she  has  consecrated  her  off- 
spring to  the  Most  High.  A  cessation  of  this  practice  for 
one  season  cannot  be  proved  from  the  whole  record  of  his, 
tory.  There,  through  all  changes,  the  altar  of  consecra- 
tion has  stood,  and  successive  generations  have  bowed  with 
their  gift  of  souls  before  it.  How  sublime  is  this  fact  when 
viewed  in  its  moral  import  and  bearings !  What  an  illus- 
tration of  scriptural  promises,  "  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee,  and 
thy  seed  after  thee."  "  And  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye 
Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise.  "Four 
thousand  years  proclaim  with  united  voice,  that  his  mercy 
endureth  forever. 

2.  The  next  impression  which  this  survey  is  calculated 
to  make,  is — That  the  practice  of  infant  consecration  has 
not  been  neglected  even  ly  any  considerable  portion  of  the 
Church  until  within  about  three  hundred  years. 

We  present  this  fact  here  because  we  wish  it  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  first.  We  think  that  this  fact  ought  to  be 
felt  in  forming  our  estimate  of  the  importance  of  this  or- 
dinance. By  the  above  statement  we  express  the  general 
impression  of  ecclesiastical  history.  Through  all  its 
records  we  have  no  history  of  such  neglect  until  the 
year  1522.  That  a  higher  antiquity  is  claimed  by  those 
who  deny  the  privilege  of  believing  parents,  in  this  respect, 
is  true.  They  endeavor  to  prove  that  the  testimony  against 
infant  baptism  was  part  of  that  testimony  which,  in  the 
low  valleys  and  in  the  mountain  fastnesses,  was  borne  by  the 


64  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

persecuted  and  the  faithful  against  the  man  of  sin.  The 
utmost,  however,  which  can  be  admitted  in  behalf  of  this 
claim  is,  that  "  in  the  year  1120  one  sect  of  the  Waldenses 
declared  against  the  baptism  of  infants,  because  they  be- 
lieved them  incapable  of  salvation."  Their  unbelief,  how- 
ever, did  not  affect  the  main  body  of  that  people,  and  they 
who  cherished  it  soon  dwindled  away.  Their  number  and 
importance  were  not  sufficient  to  render  any  exception 
necessary  to  the  statement  we  now  contemplate.  In  the 
year  1522,  there  rose  a  body  of  men,  who  insisted  upon  the 
invalidity  of  infant  baptism,  and  demanded  a  rebaptism  of 
those  consecrated  in  childhood.  It  was  not  strange  that 
when  the  spirit  of  the  Reformation  was  shaking  the  found- 
ations of  superstition,  many  who  were  ignorant  should  not 
discriminate  between  the  tares  and  the  wheat,  between  the 
precious  and  the  vile.  The  wild  and  extravagant  notions 
which  they  embraced,  have  prevented  even  the  respect 
of  Protestants  for  the  fathers  of  the  Reformation  from  ascrib- 
ing any  weight  to  their  opinions.  The  history  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  Church  which  denies  baptism  to  infants  since 
that  period,  in  its  rise  to  respectability  and  influence,  does 
not  belong  to  the  survey  necessary  to  sustain  the  position 
before  us. 

3.  Another  conclusion  forced  upon  us  by  a  candid  con- 
sideration of  the  historic  argument  is-^That  for  the  first 
thousand  years  of  Christianity^  no  sect  or  body  of  men  can 
he  found,  denying  the  validity  of  infant  baptism. 

Notwithstanding  all  manner  of  heresies  rose  and  burst 
like  so  many  bubbles,  this  great  and  powerful  arrangement 
of  ancient  ages  was  not  annulled.  The  world  has  been 
challenged  to  produce  the  proof  of  such  a  class  of  Chris- 
tians. We  may,  it  is  thought,  extend  it  to  eleven  hundred 
years,  and  deny  that  in  all  that  period  any  Chris:tians,  ad- 
mitting  baptism  at  all,  have  denied  its  validity  because  ap- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  65 

plied  to  infants. — For  fifteen  hundred  years,  almost  for  ele- 
ven hundred  altogether,  the  practice  of  the  whole  Church  was 
based  upon  the  covenant  principles  which  we  have  urged  upon 
the  attention  of  Christian  parents.  During  all  these  centuries, 
baptism  has  been  used  in  the  place  of  circumcision,  as  the 
seal  of  that  everlasting  covenant,  in  the  practice  of  the  uni- 
versal Church.  At  least  we  may  rest  assured,  that  there 
is  no  proof  of  any  portion  whatever  holding  to  baptism  at 
all,  which  gave  to  this  species  of  unbelief  any  foothold  dur- 
ing the  first  thousand  years  of  the  Christian  era.  Is  it  pos. 
sible  that  the  whole  Church  have  mistook  in  the  application 
of  a  seal  to  that  covenant,  which  God  has  so  mtimately 
connected  with  all  her  vital  interests  ?  Again,  an  exami- 
nation of  ecclesiastical  history,  convinces  us, 

4.  That  it  cannot  be  proved  that  the  adoption  ofhaptism, 
as  the  seal  of  the  covenant,  has  commenced  at  any  period  sub^ 
sequent  to  the  days  of  the  apostles. 

The  bearing  of  this  argument  is  simply  this :  if  infant 
baptism  is  of  human  invention,  there  must  be  a  period  when 
it  originated,  subsequent  to  the  first  century.  Its  introduc. 
tion  into  the  Church  must  have  been  a  marked  occurrence, 
must  have  awakened  controversy.  It  is  highly  probable, 
therefore,  that  the  researches  of  historians  would  have  de- 
tected that  period,  and  rationally  accounted  for  its  appear- 
ance. Nothing  like  this,  however,  has  been  accomplished. 
If  it  has  a  birthplace  among  human  speculations,  it  has 
been,  like  the  grave  of  Moses,  screened  from  the  scrutiny 
of  men.  If  it  is  from  heaven,  all  these  facts  are  perfectly 
consistent.  The  history  corresponds  with  the  divine  autho- 
rity of  the  ordinance,  and  is  most  rationally  explained  by 
the  admission  of  its  claims  to  be  an  ordinance  of  infinite 
wisdom.  The  consecration  of  children  by  baptism,  then, 
cannot  be  proved,  by  any  historical  evidence  now  in  posses. 
6* 


66  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION, 

sion  of  the  world,  to  be  of  human  origin.     It  is  certain, 
that  ecclesiastical  history  has  no  testimony  against  it. 

Combine,  now,  these  four  positions — infant  consecration 
has  existed  for  four  thousand  years  without  cessation — it 
has  never  been  opposed  by  any  considerable  portion  of  the 
Church  until  within  three  hundred  years ;  its  validity  was 
not  denied  by  any  portion  of  the  Church  for  the  first  one 
thousand  years — it  cannot  be  proved  to  have  originated  at 
any  period  subsequent  to  the  apostles.  Now,  had  we  found 
that  the  opposition  to  it  had  always  been  strong,  like  that 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;  and  the  controversy  always 
sharp,  like  that  between  the  advocates  of  Augustinian  theo- 
logy and  their  opponents ;  had  we  found  even  that  it  had 
always  been  depressed  and  obscure,  with  a  testimony 
scarcely  audible  amid  the  voice  of  ages  ;  had  its  existence 
been  suspended  for  centuries,  and  even  its  introduction  ques- 
tionable until  the  sixteenth  century,  all  this  frowning  aspect 
of  history  could  not  banish  from  our  sight  that  testimony  of 
revelation  which  seems  incorporated  in  the  whole  connection 
of  Bible  truth. 

What,  then,  should  be  the  conclusion,  when  the  whole 
current  of  history  coincides  with  the  written  word ;  when 
we  trace,  in  the  aspect  of  ages,  the  light  of  principles  reflect- 
ed in  glory  from  preceding  ages ;  reflected  through  them 
all  upon  us?  What  but  to  exclaim  with  stronger  confi- 
dence as  we  ponder  the  Abrahamic  promise.  Hath  he  said, 
and  shall  he  not  do  it  ?  hath  he  spoken,  and  shall  he  not 
make  it  good  1  The  study  of  the  argument  from  history 
does  not  terminate  here  :   it  proves, 

5.  That,  in  the  fourth  century,  the  consecration  of  infants 
hj  baptism  was  universally  practised,  on  the  ground  of  the 
Abrahamic  covenant ;  was  regarded  as  substituted  for  cir- 
cumcision, and  as  sanctioned  by  apostolic  authority. 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  67 

In  proof  of  this  position,  we  shall  rely  on  the  testimony 
of  four  substantial  witnesses,  all  belonging  to  the  fourth 
century.  The  fourth  century,  it  should  be  remembered, 
presents  a  period  of  time  less  than  three  hundred  years  after 
the  apostles,  and  the  witnesses  were  the  most  conspicuous 
of  its  fathers.  Augustine,  who  flourished  in  the  latter  part 
of  that  century,  is  very  explicit — "  Which  the  whole  body 
of  the  Church  holds  in  the  case  of  little  infants,  who  are 
baptized,  who  certainly  cannot  believe  with  their  heart  unto 
salvation,  and  yet  no  Christian  will  say  that  they  are  bap- 
tized in  vain." 

"  The  custom  of  our  mother,  the  Church,  in  baptizing 
infants,  must  not  be  disregarded,  nor  accounted  useless,  and 
it  must  by  all  means  be  believed  to  be  an  order  of  the 


"  It  is  most  justly  believed  to  be  no  other  than  a  thing 
delivered  by  apostolic  authority,  that  is,  it  came  not  by  a 
general  council,  nor  by  any  authority  later  or  less  than  that 
of  the  apostles." 

"  By  the  authority  of  the  whole  Church,  which  was 
undoubtedly  delivered  by  our  Lord  and  his  apostles." 

These  several  passages,  taken  from  the  writings  of 
Augustine,  prove  that  it  was  universal  in  the  Church,  and 
was  regarded  as  an  apostolic  ordinance.  That  it  was  an 
institution  whose  importance  was  generally  realized,  and 
was  so  strongly  regarded  as  divine,  that  in  controversial 
writings  on  other  subjects  it  was  used  as  a  test  by  which 
others  were  to  be  tried.  The  question  then  stood,  Is  this 
new  doctrine  consistent  with  the  baptism  of  infants  ?  and  a 
full  conviction  of  its  inconsistency  was  sufficient  for  its 
refutation.  This  remark  prepares  the  way  for  introducing 
the  testimony  of  Pelagius,  the  contemporary  and  opponent 
of  Augustine.  He  denied  the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  and 
was  pressed  hard  with  the  argument  from  infant  baptism. 


68  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

He  repels  the  charge  of  denying  that  institution,  in  very- 
earnest  language  : — "  Men  calumniate  me  by  charging  me 
with  a  denial  of  infant  baptism.  I  have  never  heard  of 
any  impious  heretic  or  sectary  who  denied  infant  baptism," 
He  labors  to  prove  that  his  sentiments  on  the  subject  of 
original  sin  did  not  involve  the  denial  of  infant  dedication, 
and  that  many  reasons  existed  for  the  practice,  aside  from 
that  assigned  by  Augustine.  This  appeal  of  both  parties 
to  a  common  institution  shows  how  firmly  it  was  then  esta- 
blished, throughout  the  Church  of  God.  Tempted,  as  Pela- 
gius  was,  to  deny  its  authority,  he  was  able  to  oppose  it,  if 
it  could  have  been  opposed.  He  had  travelled  extensively 
in  Britain,  Gaul,  Italy,  Africa,  Egypt,  and  Palestine.  Yet, 
with  his  learning  and  travel,  he  makes  the  affirmation  above. 
He  could  say,  "  /  never  heard  of  any  impious  heretic  or 
sectary  who  denied  infant  baptism.'^  Thus  we  have  two 
learned  men,  warm  opponents,  both  uniting  in  the  strongest 
kind  of  testimony  on  this  subject.  The  testimony  is  given 
incidentally,  not  to  prove  or  disprove  infant  baptism,  but  to 
bear  on  another  topic.  The  third  witness  is  Chrysostom. 
He  was  a  contemporary  with  Augustine  and  Pelagius. — 
"  But  our  circumcision,  that  is,  the  grace  of  baptism,  gives 
us  cure,  without  pain,  and  it  has  no  determinate  time  as 
circumcision  has."  If  we  admit  the  testimony  of  the  first 
two  witnesses,  we  must  believe  that  infant  baptism  was  now 
universally  practised,  as  an  apostolic  institution  ;  and  if  we 
will  admit  in  explanation  the  evidence  of  Chrysostom,  we 
shall  perceive  that  it  was  considered  as  coming  in  the  place 
of  circumcision,  and  as  possessing  some  advantages  over 
the  ancient  form,  as  a  seal  of  the  everlasting  and  extended 
covenant.  The  last  witness,  under  the  present  position, 
is  Ambrose,  Bishop  of  Milan,  born  in  the  year  340.  He 
also  calls  baptism  circumcision.  Having  mentioned  the 
miracle  of  dividing  Jordan,  he  says,  "  But  perhaps  this  may 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  69 

seem  to  be  fulfilled  in  our  time  and  in  the  apostles'  time." 
"  For  that  return  of  the  waters  backward  towards  the  head 
of  the  river,  which  was  caused  by  Elias,  when  the  river 
was  divided,  signified  the  mystery  of  the  lava  of  salvation 
which  was  afterward  to  be  instituted,  by  which  those  who 
are  baptized  in  infancy  are  reformed  from  a  wicked  state 
to  the  primitive  state  of  their  nature."  Now  it  is  of  no 
consequence  to  the  argument  what  opinion  we  form  of  his 
exegetical  capacity,  or  what  objection  we  raise  to  his  views 
of  the  efficacy  of  the  ordinance.  The  present  argument 
simply  requires  the  evidence  of  the  existence  of  infant  bap- 
tism as  an  established  institution  of  the  Church,  on  the 
ground  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  and  claiming  apostolic 
authority.  The  united  testimony  of  these  four  witnesses 
conclusively  establishes  the  fact.  When  we  consider  the 
nature  of  the  Pelagian  controversy,  and  the  standing  of 
the  several  witnesses,  their  evidence  seems  unimpeachable. 
The  position  which  we  have  taken,  then,  is  firmly  supported, 
that  in  the  fourth  century,  this  institution,  with  all  its  claims, 
was  universally  honored  by  the  Church  of  God.  There  is 
another  consideration  connected  with  this  testimony,  that 
in  the  fourth  century,  i.  e.  within  three  hundred  years  after 
the  apostles,  it  was  impossible  to  trace  its  origin.  Then 
the  most  learned  men  in  the  Church  had  never  heard  of  its 
being  rejected.  Pelagius  inquires,  "  Who  can  be  so  impi- 
ous as  to  hinder  the  baptism  of  infants  ?"  It  is  useless  to 
say  that  these  ancient  writings  were  corrupted  in  these 
passages,  for  there  was  no  temptation  to  interpolation. — 
There  was  no  controversy  on  the  subject  until  centuries 
afterwards,  and  the  very  manner  in  which  it  was  interwoven 
in  the  Pelagian  controversy  forbids  the  supposition  of  faith- 
less records.  The  same  and  similar  reasons  sustain  the 
credit  of  extracts  now  to  be  made  to  substantiate  another 
position. 


70  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

6.  It  can  be  proved,  that  previous  to  the  fourth  century , 
this  institution  had  been  established  so  long  as  to  render  the 
supposition  of  its  existence  in  the  apostolic  age  essential  to 
every  rational  theory  of  its  origin. 

The  witnesses  to  this  position  are  Cyprian,  Bishop  of 
Carthage,  Origen,  and  TertuHian. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  after  the  apostolic  age,  a  council  of 
sixty-six  bishops  was  convened  at  Carthage.  Fidus,  a 
Presbyter,  believing  that  infants  ought  not  to  be  baptized 
before  eight  days  old,  presented  the  subject  before  the 
council,  and  obtained  this  ofticial  answer  :  "  As  to  the  case 
of  infants,  whereas  you  judge  that  they  must  not  be  baptized 
within  two  or  three  days  after  they  are  horn,  and  that  the 
rule  of  circumcision  is  to  be  observed,  that  no  one  should  be 
baptized  or  sanctified  before  the  eighth  day  after  he  is  born, 
we  were  all  of  a  different  opinion,''^ 

One  hundred  and  eighty-five  years  after  Christ,  eighty- 
five  years  after  the  apostolic  age,  Origen  was  born.  His 
testimony  is,  first,  "  That  he  himself  was  a  baptized  child." 
Second,  ''  That  the  Church  received  an  order  from  the 
apostles  to  give  baptism  even  to  infants."  Third,  "  That 
infants  are  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sins." 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  Christ,  fifty 
years  after  the  apostolic  age,  TertuHian  was  born.  He 
advised  a  delay  of  baptism,  because  he  believed  that  sins 
committed  after  baptism  were  not  forgiven.  "  The  delay 
of  baptism  is  more  profitable  as  to  little  children.  For 
why  is  it  necessary  that  the  sponsors  should  incur  danger? 
For  they  may  fail  of  their  promises  by  death,  or  be  disap- 
pointed by  the  child  proving  to  be  of  a  wicked  disposition." 

These  three  witnesses  present  the  evidence  from  which 
the  apostolic  origin  of  infant  baptism  is  rationally  inferred. 
The  testimony  of  Cyprian  respecting  the  council  at  Car- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  71 

thage,  implies,  1.  That  the  practice  of  consecrating  infants 
by  baptism  was  an  established  order  of  the  Church,  unques- 
tioned and  unanimously  honored. 

2.  That  infant  baptism  was  regarded  as  substituted  for 
infant  circumcision  ;  else,  why  the  anxious  question  respect- 
ing the  propriety  of  baptism  previous  to  the  eighth  day  ? 

3.  That  the  baptism  of  infants  was  understood  to  be  a 
sanctijicaiion-^thsit  is,  a  consecration  of  them  to  God. 

4.  That  the  council  considered  the  gospel  dispensation, 
not  only  as  preserving  to  the  Gentiles  all  the  privileges  of 
the  ancient  covenant,  but  as  applying  them  with  less  limi- 
tation, and  with  wider  extent,  in  milder  forms,  and  more 
glorious  significancy.  The  same  great  principles  which 
we  proved  to  be  established  in  the  fourth  century,  we  now 
see  established  in  the  third ;  the  very  principles  which  have 
been  involved  in  the  whole  argument  of  these  essays. — 
This  practice,  founded  on  these  principles,  could  not  have 
arisen  in  a  moment,  if  it  is  of  human  invention.  Could  it 
have  become  universally  practised  without  opposition,  if 
indeed  it  were  an  innovation  ?  Thus,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  after  the  apostles,  we  behold  this  institution  founded 
on  its  permanent  principles.  We  see  that  the  infant  con- 
secration of  those  times  was  the  same  in  object  and  in  form 
that  it  now  is.  We  rely  on  the  testimony  of  Cyprian  for 
the  proof  of  its  established  credit,  and  for  its  definition, — 
The  testimony  of  Origen  proves,  that  this  institution,  thus 
defined,  existed  at  least  sixty-five  years  previous  to  the 
council  of  Carthage.  The  parents  of  Origen  were  pious  ; 
his  father  a  martyr,  who,  while  imprisoned,  was  consoled 
by  a  letter  from  his  consecrated  child,  exhorting  him  to 
steadfastness,  and  congratulating  him  on  his  privilege. — ■ 
Even  at  a  more  tender  age  still,  the  zeal  of  that  baptised 
child  had  to  be  guarded  by  the  vigilance  of  a  believing 
mother,  lest  he  should  rashly  expose  himself  to  martyrdom. 


72  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

If,  then,  that  fathei*  and  mother  consecrated  their  children 
in  infancy,  they  did  it  believing  it  their  duty  and  their  privi- 
lege. There  was  no  temptation  to  expose  their  rising 
household  in  those  days  of  persecution,  any  farther  than 
the  command  of  Christ  required  them.  In  the  days  of  his 
parents,  then,  it  was  believed  and  practised  as  an  institution 
of  the  apostles.  Had  there  been  a  time  knoion  to  them, 
when  it  was  not  practised  in  the  Church,  they  could  have 
pointed  out  the  innovation.  Origen  would  needj  in  his 
inquiries,  to  search  no  farther  than  his  own  family  history. 
TertuHian's  testimony  proves,  that  one  hundred  years  after 
the  apostles  the  baptism  of  infants,  on  the  faith  of  others, 
was  the  common  practice  of  the  Church.  This  strengthens 
the  testimony  of  Origen,  while  the  fact  of  Origen's  own 
baptism  by  such  parents  necessarily  carries  the  evidence 
at  least  fifty  years  nearer  the  apostles.  The  council  of 
Carthage,  in  their  decision,  corroborate  this  train  of  evi- 
dence. All  the  five  preceding  positions  corroborate  this 
view  of  the  subject.  We  are  obliged,  therefore,  to  ac- 
knowledge its  existence  and  prevalence,  within  fifty  years 
of  the  days  of  inspiration. 

Contemplate  that  period*  The  aged  Polycarp,  disciple 
of  John,  was  alive  and  vigorous  through  all  its  years.  So, 
also,  was  Justin  Martyr.  So,  also,  was  Irenseus.  Three 
noble  guardians  of  purity  in  the  second  century  !  Polycarp 
was  martyred  in  169  ;  Justin  Martyr  in  164  ;  Irenaeus 
lived  until  after  202.  If  the  application  of  baptism,  then, 
to  infants,  as  the  seal  of  the  covenant,  was  not  of  apostolic 
institution,  it  must  have  been  introduced  by  their  disciples 
and  immediate  successors,  the  apostolic  fathers.  If  it  was 
introduced  by  them,  understanding,  as  they  did,  the  mind  of 
the  apostles ;  then  we  have  their  views  of  the  household 
consecration.  If  it  was  not  introduced  by  them,  then  there 
is  only  the  remaining  conclusion,  it  arose  under  the  authori" 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  73 

ty  of  the  apostles.  In  either  case,  the  testimony  of  the  ages 
previous  to  the  fourth  century  compels  us  to  regard  it  as  a 
divine  institution.  There  are,  however,  other  considera- 
tions, sustaining  the  present  position.  In  the  first  place, 
since  Tertullian  wished  to  have  baptism  delayed,  why  did 
he  not  show  that  such  early  baptism,  on  the  faith  of  spon- 
sors, was  an  innovation  ?  He  certainly  was  able  to  do  it,  if 
such  had  been  the  fact.  He  had  only  to  consult  with  Ire- 
nsBus,  the  disciple  of  Polycarp,  the  disciple  of  John,  or  with 
Polycarp  himself,  for  he  was  contemporary  with  both. 
Yet  no  such  plea  is  presented  against  it.  Instead  of  that, 
his  whole  language  implies  that  he  felt  himself  contending 
with  the  common  and  established  practice  ;  and  his  extra- 
vagant writings,  together  with  his  final  separation  from  the 
Church,  show  that  same  unsound  judgment  which  his  rea- 
sonings themselves  discover.  Of  Pagan  descent  himself,  he 
was  not  likely  to  appreciate  the  unfeigned  faith  of  a  Chris- 
tian ancestry. 

Actuated  by  false  views  of  the  importance  of  baptism,  he 
was  even  led  to  advise  all  persons  to  postpone  it  until  the 
season  of  youth  had  passed  away.  The  principle  on  which  he 
dissuaded  the  practice  of  infant  baptism  was  equally  valid  in 
pleading  against  the  baptism  of  young  persons  on  the  pro- 
fession of  their  own  faith.  While  these  circumstances  dimi- 
nish our  confidence  in  his  opinions,  they  leave  us  the  evi- 
dence that  the  prevailing  practice  of  the  Church  was  against 
him.  We  have  already  shown  that  this  practice  was  firm- 
ly rooted  at  an  earlier  age  than  the  publication  of  his 
works.  So  that  every  circumstance  conspires  to  guide  us 
into  the  scenes  of  the  first  century  for  its  birthplace. 

In  the  next  place,  consider  that,  according  to  the  testimo- 
ny before  us,  we  are  directly  assured  that  the  Church  re- 
ceived  an  order  from  the  apostles  to  give  baptism  to  infants. 
This  was  certainly  the  opinion  of  Origen.     When  we  con- 


74  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATIOTT. 

sider  that  he  could  ascertain  the  truth  of  it  in  the  history  of 
his  own  family ;  that  he  could  ascertain  it  from  Irenaeus 
and  other  contemporaries ;  that  he  had  only  that  century 
to  review,  which  was  overshadowed  by  the  presence  of  the 
apostolic  fathers  ;  that  he  was  remarkable  for  his  inquisi- 
tiveness  and  extensive  learning,  it  is  manifest  that  on  this 
subject  he  was  competent  to  testify  with  assurance.  That 
testimony,  it  seems,  corresponds  with  the  plain  deductions  of 
reason,  as  stated  above.  In  addition  to  the  evidence  al- 
ready before  us,  it  may  be  proper  to  remember  the  allu- 
sions of  Irenseus,  Clement,  and  Justin  Martyr.  If  these  are 
admitted,  according  to  the  proper  rules  of  interpretation, 
they  strengthen  the  conviction  produced  by  the  evidence 
just  examined.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  say  that,  on 
the  supposition  that  infant  dedication  existed  then,  these  al- 
lusions are  naturally  to  be  understood  as  referring  to  its 
design  and  its  form  of  administration.  Thus  Justin  Mar- 
tyr  speaks  of  those  who  were  made  disciples  of  Christ  from 
their  infancy ;  Irenasus,  of  infants  born  again  ;  while  Cle- 
ment evidently  exhons  fishermen,  in  engraven  images  on 
seal-rings,  to  choose  the  image  of  an  apostle  baptizing  infants. 
The  testimony  of  Cyprian,  Origen,  and  Tertullian,  is  suffi- 
cient  to  establish  the  fact  of  its  prevalence  in  the  third 
century  and  in  the  second.  This  being  established,  the 
supposition  of  its  existence  in  the  first  century,  becomes 
essential  to  every  rational  theory  of  its  origin. 

Thus,  in  contemplating  the  evidence  of  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory, we  have  collected  several  substantial  positions,  each 
of  which  is  impressive  ;  and  all  combined  constitute  a  mass 
of  overwhelming  proof.  While  it  cannot  be  proved  that 
the  practice  of  infant  consecration  has  ever  ceased,  in  the 
Church  of  God,  since  he  established  it  in  the  Abrahamic 
covenant ;  while  it  cannot  be  proved  that  it  has  ever  been 
neglected  by  any  considerable  portion  of  the  Church,  until 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  75 

within  about  three  hundred  years ;  while  it  cannot  be  proved 
that  any  body  of  men  denied  baptism  to  infants  during  the  first 
thousand  years  of  the  Christian  dispensation  ;  while  it  can- 
not be  shown  that  the  practice  of  baptizing  infants  has  ori- 
ginated at  any  specific  period  since  the  apostolic  age  ;  while, 
moreover,  it  is  abundantly  proved  that,  in  the  fourth  century, 
the  consecration  of  infants  was  universally  practised,  on 
the  ground  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  by  baptism  in  the 
place  of  circumcision ;  while,  finally,  it  is  manifest  that, 
previous  to  the  fourth  century,  the  evidence  of  its  preva- 
lence is  such  as  to  render  the  supposition  of  its  existence  in 
the  first  century  essential  to  any  rational  theory  of  its  ori- 
gin ;  I  see  a  body  of  evidence  so  harmonious,  witnesses  so 
trustworthy,  principles  so  consistent,  and  providential  illus- 
trations so  accordant  with  divine  appointments  and  reveal- 
ed predictions,  that  I  feel  confident  in  saying  to  every  in- 
quirer, Go  thy  way  forth  by  the  footsteps  of  the  flock  ! 

Still,  let  it  not  be  forgotten,  that  we  regard  this  sublime 
arrangement  as  resting  on  the  unchanging  word  of  God. 
We  rely  on  the  sacred  volume  as  our  only  infallible  guide 
on  this  as  well  as  on  other  subjects.  We  present  these 
considerations  from  history,  chiefly,  as  confirmatory  of 
preceding  arguments,  as  illustrative  of  principles,  and,  final* 
ly,  as  preparatory  to  an  examination  of  other  scriptural  evi^ 
dence  which  we  have  not  yet  considered. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Household  consecration  in  the  apostolic  age.  Its  prominence  un- 
der the  ministry  of  John  :  of  Jesus  Christ :  of  the  apostles.  The 
Church  obligated  to  regard  it  in  the  same  manner. 

To  the  portion  of  scriptural  evidence  which  we  are  now 

to  examine,  the  attention  of  believing  parents  is  earnestly 
solicited.  My  object  will  be,  to  exhibit  the  manner  in 
which  the  great  principles  of  infant  consecration  influenced 
the  feelings  of  the  early  disciples.  We  are  prepared  for 
this  subject,  if  we  have  fully  imbibed  those  principles  them- 
selves, and  admit  the  evidence  by  which  they  are  incontro- 
vertibly  established.  The  spiritual  blessings  connected 
with  parental  faithfulness,  in  the  ancient  household  cove- 
nant ;  the  perpetuity  of  that  covenant,  and  the  right  of  be- 
lieving Gentiles  to  its  privileges  ;  the  substitution  of  bap- 
tism in  the  place  of  circumcision  as  its  new  and  appropriate 
seal,  have  been  spread  before  us  in  the  decisive  testimony  of 
Scripture.  All  these,  as  we  have  seen,  were  understood 
and  advocated  by  the  apostles  in  their  writings.  If  they 
thus  understood  these  truths,  their  own  feelings,  plans, 
and  conduct  must  have  been  powerfully  affected  by  their 
influence.  The  universal  practice  of  infant  baptism  in  the 
first  centuries,  as  evinced  by  ecclesiastical  history,  confirms 
this  impression.  It  therefore  seems  proper  to  examine  the 
inspired  history  of  the  first  century,  with  the  expectation  of 
beholding  there  the  dignity  and  grandeur  of  these  vital 
principles  of  the  Church,  exhibited  in  their  native  simplicity 
and  power.  There,  in  the  writings  and  conduct  of  the  in- 
spired, and  in  the  establishment  of  the  new   dispensation, 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  77 

the  native,  quiet  operation  of  parental  faith  is  most  sweetly 
portrayed.  We  cannot,  of  course,  expect  to  find  these 
truths  stated  as  if  in  the  language  of  controversy,  for  there 
the  idea  of  controversy  on  this  subject  was  unknown — but 
if  we  read  the  inspired  record  with  the  proper  spirit,  we 
shall  perceive  these  principles  invested  with  more  practical 
importance  than  ever  they  have  been  in  the  more  degen- 
erate— than  they  had  been,  even  in  the  more  ancient  ages. 
If  this  be  considered  unusual  ground,  still  should  it  be  sus- 
tained ;  it  will  strengthen  that  presentiment  which  doubt- 
less is  even  now  awakened,  that  this  institution  is  destined 
to  exert  a  prominent  agency  in  producing  and  perpetuating 
the  state  of  millennial  glory. 

1.  These  principles  of  infant  consecration  had  a  power- 
ful influence  in  preparing  the  Jewish  nation  for  the  Mes- 
siah's advent. 

The  evidence  of  this  fact  is  conclusive,  and  deeply  inte- 
resting. We  pass  by  the  providential  preparation  which 
on  this  axle  turned  the  wheel  of  its  operations  for  succes- 
sive ages,  and  fix  our  minds  upon  that  special  preparatory 
work  which  was  prosecuted  under  the  ministry  of  John  the 
Baptist  In  the  close  of  Old  Testament  prophecy,  he  had 
been  designated  as  the  messenger  who  was  to  herald  the 
Saviour's  approach.  It  was  particularly  stated,  he  should 
turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 
of  the  children  to  the  fathers.  The  great  and  prominent 
instrumentality  which  he  was  to  employ,  was  the  powerful 
agency  of  family  influence.  The  voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  wilderness,The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand  !  prepare 
ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  must  have  wrought  mightily  on 
the  heart  of  the  believing  parent  in  behalf  of  household  edu- 
cation. As  the  glorious  Prince  of  Israel  was  constantly 
expected,  with  what  eagerness  would  the  Jew  endeavor  to 
make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord — to  set  his  house 

7* 


78  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

in  order  for  the  reception  of  the  Son  of  David.  Hence,  at 
that  joyous  event,  the  circumcision  of  John,  the  venerable 
Zechariah  dwelt  with  peculiar  delight  on  *'  the  mercy  pro- 
mised  to  our  fathers ;"  "  on  his  holy  covenant,"  and  "  the 
oath  which  he  sware  to  our  father  Abraham."  Such  was 
the  prominence  given  to  this  covenant  and  its  provisions, 
in  the  consecration  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  in  the  ministry 
of  preparation  which  he  fulfilled.  By  operating  through 
this  channel,  he  effectually  prepared  great  multitudes  of  the 
common  people  to  believe  on  the  Saviour's  name  at  the 
moment  his  arrival  was  announced. 

From  the  predictions — the  specific  mission  of  John  the 
Baptist — from  the  results  of  his  mission,  as  manifested  in 
the  succeeding  history  of  the  first  century,  it  is  evident  that 
the  principles  of  infant  consecration  were  regarded  as  all- 
important  to  the  first  advent  of  the  Son  of  God. 

2.  The  mission  of  Christ  himself j  while  on  earth,  was 
characterized  by  a  special  and  continual  regard  to  these 
principles. 

He  devoted  his  entire  course  of  personal  labor  to  the 
children  of  the  covenant.  He  said,  even  on  a  most  aflTect- 
ing  occasion,  "  I  am  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel."  He  came  unto  his  own — his  consecrated 
ones — ^he  devoted  to  them  his  miracles  and  his  instructions ; 
front  them  he  selected  his  apostles,  and  to  them  he  made 
the  first  offers  of  salvation  ;  he  proclaimed  himself  ^7*8  King 
of  the  Jews — he  treated  them  as  the  privileged  children  of 
the  Abrahamic  covenant.  Consecrated  to  God  himself  in 
infancy,  he  practically  acknowledged  the  justice  of  the  di- 
vine claim  thus  placed  upon  him  in  the  commencement  of 
his  existence,  by  a  personal  and  perfect  consecration  of  him- 
self to  the  will  of  his  Father,  until  his  dying  hour.  He 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  consecrated  children  of  his  friends. 
When  some  believing  parents  brought  their  devoted  oflT- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  79 

spring  to  him,  that  he  should  recognize  them,  he  took  them 
up  in  his  arms  and  blessed  them.  In  the  very  spirit  of  this 
ancient  covenant,  he  exclaimed,  "  Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  king, 
dom  ofheaven.^^  During  many  ages  previous,  the  spiritual 
kingdom,  and  the  visible  kingdom  of  God,  had  been  main- 
tained chiefly,  and  perhaps  entirely,  from  the  action  of  con- 
secrated family  influence  on  consecrated  households.  Of 
such,  out  of  such,  the  lively  stones  had  been  taken,  with 
which  the  building  of  God  has  thus  far  been  erected. 

If,  however,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  to  be  understood 
particularly  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  then  the  perpe- 
tuity of  these  covenant  privileges  in  after  ages  is  complete- 
ly established.  He  saw  in  those  consecrated  children  of 
believing  parents  the  future  martyrs  of  the  first  century, 
the  future  pillars  of  the  Church,  the  Abrahams  of  successive 
generations.  His  spirit  broke  out  in  joy  as  he  cried,  "  I 
thank  thee,  Father,  that  thou  hast  hidden  these  things  from 
the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes : 
even  so.  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight.'*  How 
illustrious,  to  him,  did  that  wisdom  of  God  appear,  by  which 
"  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  he  had  ordained 
strength,  that  he  might  still  the  enemy  and  the  avenger.'* 
Glorious  arrangement ;  by  which  around  this  plain,  endur- 
ing, *univer§al  principle  of  household  consecration,  God  had 
clustered  all  the  prospects  of  the  Church,  and  all  the  inte- 
rests of  the  whole  train  of  generations  !  The  testimony  of 
ecclesiastical  history,  both  inspired  and  uninspired,  ancient 
and  modern,  J&wieh  and  Christian,  proclaims  that  there 
wa?  meaning  in  the  Saviour's  jay— power  in  his  condescen- 
sion ;  and  glory  in  his  blessing*  Not  in  all  the  histof y  of 
ancient  patriarchs,  however,  do  we  find  their  principles  so 
recognized  in  a  whole  course  of  action,  and  so  made  a  mat- 


80  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

ter  of  exulting  joy,  as  in  the  life  and  the  language  of  the 
Messiah. 

3.  The  commission  which  Christ  gave  his  apostles  to 
teach  and  baptize  all  nations,  embraces,  establishes y  and  espe^ 
daily  honors  these  covenant  principles. 

Contemplate  the  circumstances.  The  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion was  now  to  cease ;  the  particular  reasons  for  using  cir- 
cumcision as  the  sea]  of  the  covenant,  had  all  vanished ; 
circumcision  was  thenceforth  to  be  displaced  ;  it  had  once 
pointed  to  a  Saviour  yet  to  come ;  the  preparatory  dispen- 
sation of  John  had  also  closed,  and  with  it  his  baptism,  which 
pointed  to  a  Saviour  jws^  about  to  come;  a  new  dispensation 
of  that  same  ancient  covenant  was  now  to  be  established, 
varying  from  all  others  in  this,  that  its  public  rite  must  now 
point  to  a  Saviour  already  come  :  like  the  great  principle  of 
the  everlasting  covenant  itself,  that  sealing  rite  was  to  be 
applied,  not  to  one  nation  exclusively,  but  to  all  nations ; 
not  to  one  sex,  but  to  both ;  not  in  the  name  of  Jesus  alone, 
but  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ;  now 
more  clearly  revealed  as  the  triune  God  ;  and  in  that  reve. 
lation  clothing  that  same  covenant  of  faith  with  augmented 
importance,  because  of  the  vast  extent  of  its  gracious  pro- 
visions, and  because  of  the  transcendant  efficacy  of  its  ad- 
ministration. These  were  the  circumstances  in  which  the 
apostolic  commission,  establishing  the  ordinance  of  Christian 
baptism,  was  to  be  given. 

What  vast  importance  must  have  been  connected  with 
that  covenant  which  was  thus  to  receive  a  new  and  nobler 
seal !  How  must  he  have  remembered  the  promise  to  Abra- 
ham  :  In  thee  all  the  families  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed ! 
How  must  his  omniscient  mind  have  enjoyed  the  satisfac- 
tory sight  of  his  numerous  seed,  for  whom  he  had  travailed, 
as  he  tore  away  the  partition  wall,  and  commanded  the 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  81 

blessing  of  Abraham  to  flow  upon  the  Gentiles  !  He  knew 
that  the  Abrahamic  covenant  promised  spiritual  blessings 
to  parents  on  behalf  of  their  children ;  that  although  there 
were  important  reasons  for  changing  the  seal,  there  were 
all  the  ancient,  together  with  additional  reasons,  for  retain, 
ing  the  covenant  and  confirming  its  promises ;  foreseeing 
that  the  Jews  would  reject  the  gospel  offer,  he  had  deter- 
mined to  bestow  all  the  immunities  of  that  covenant  upon 
the  Gentiles ;  he  was  now  about  to  appoint  a  seal  in  the 
place  of  circumcision,  by  which  faith  like  that  of  Abraham 
would  be  more  emphatically  expressed,  in  the  new  circum- 
stances of  his  Church,  than  it  could  be  by  retaining  the  one 
which  had  served,  in  addition  to  its  spiritual  and  original 
purpose,  certain  temporary  and  national  ones :  he  knew 
that  whatever  the  seal  might  be,  the  same  had  always  been 
used  in  the  consecration  of  children,  which  was  used  in  the 
consecration  of  parents  ;  all  this  he  knew,  for  all  this  he 
has  fully  revealed  in  his  own  word.  Knowing  all  this,  he 
yet  appointed  baptism,  in  view  of  fulfilling  these  promises 
until  the  end  of  the  world  ;  he  neither  commanded,  autho- 
rized, or  permitted  any  limitations  of  the  ancient  privileges ; 
and  appointing  it  in  this  manner,  and  with  this  knowledge, 
he  must  have  intended  the  application  of  baptism  as  the 
new  seal  of  the  ancient,  confirmed,  and  extended  covenant, 
to  believers  and  their  households,  * 

He  knew,  moreover,  that  the  apostles  were  all  conse- 
crated children  of  the  covenant ;  that  they,  as  Jews,  highly 
valued  their  descent  from  Abraham ;  that  even  they  did  not 
fully  understand  then  the  design  to  bestow  the  gospel — or, 
in  other  words,  the  spiritual  blessings  of  the  Abrahamic 
covenant — on  the  Gentiles ;  that,  for  a  while,  therefore, 
thus  understanding  the  gospel,  they  would  confine  their 
ministrations  to  the  Jews  ;  that  ultimately,  however,  they 


82  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

would  understand  that  believers  of  all  nations  were  the 
seed  of  Abraham,  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise ;  and 
that  under  their  labors,  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  the  Jews 
would  receive  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  through  faith  ;  he 
therefore  must  have  intended  the  apostles  to  understand 
him  as  commanding  them  to  apply  that  rite  which  they 
knew  to  be  the  seal  of  the  covenant  to  believers  and  their 
households ;  and  that  ultimately  they  should  thus  apply  it 
both  to  the  Jews  and  the  Gentiles.  If,  therefore,  he  had 
wished  infants,  under  the  new  dispensation,  to  be  denied 
baptism,  and  parents,  under  the  new  dispensation,  to  be 
deprived  of  their  ancient  privileges,  ho  would  have  expli- 
citly stated  this  in  the  commission  itself.  No  such  thing 
is  stated.  On  the  other  hand,  we  know  that  the  apostles 
did  understand  him  as  confirming  all  these  privileges  to 
parents,  among  all  nations,  because  they  have  fully  taught 
this  in  their  epistles  to  the  Churches.  We  know  that  they 
must  thus  have  understood  him,  from  all  their  habitual 
views  of  the  household  relations. 

How  sublime  is  this  view  of  the  Saviour.  Having 
completed  the  great  atonement — having  abolished  the  whole 
superstructure  of  the  exclusive  dispensation,  he  took  the 
great  fundamental  principles  of  household  consecration; 
the  heavenly  blessings  of  the  everlasting  covenant ;  the 
promises  of  grace  which  had  been  spread  like  a  canopy 
over  a  thousand  generations,  and  wrought  them  all  into  the 
new  dispensation.  He  commanded  his  ministers  to  seal 
them  upon  the  company  of  believers  in  all  nations  and 
through  all  ages ;  and  promised  to  be  with  them  in  the 
majesty  of  his  mediatorial  throne  until  the  end  of  the  world. 
The  unvarying  practice  of  the  Church  for  the  first  thousand 
years,  the  general  practice  for  eighteen  hundred,  is  thus  fully 
explained  by  the  command  to  baptize,  as  given  to  apostles 


HOtTSfiHOLD    CONSECRATION.  83 

who  cherished  these  covenant  views,  by  him  who  on  earth 
sanctioned  them  by  his  example,  and  who  in  heaven  has 
gloriously  honored  them  by  the  outpouring  of  his  Spirit. 

4.  These  principles  were  especially  sanctioned  by  the 
manner  in  which  the  apostles  preached  the  gospel. 

They  preached  thus  at  the  day  of  Pentecost.  **  Then 
Peter  said  unto  them.  Repent  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of 
you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the  promise  is 
unto  you  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  The 
Saviour  had  made  the  atonement,  ascended  on  high,  esta- 
blished the  Christian  dispensation^  and  now  the  apostles 
stood  forth  to  preach  the  gospel  in  all  the  fulness  of  its 
mercy  to  a  dying  world.  They  held  up  to  the  view  of  all 
the  ancient  covenant  promise — the  promise  to  parents  and 
their  children-^the  promise  of  the  Spirit.  They  expected 
that  if  the  Jews  then  embraced  the  gospel,  the  influences  of 
the  Spirit  would  be  poured  d<»wn  like  rain  upon  their  house* 
holds.  They  feared  not  to  urge  them,  by  all  the  value  and 
efficacy  of  this  promise,  to  comply  with  the  conditions  which 
secured  their  own  salvation  and  that  of  their  children. — 
When  they  retired  from  the  crowded  assembly,  they  preach- 
ed in  the  same  manner  to  the  private  family.  When  the 
trembling  jailer  fell  down  before  them,  inquiring  about  his 
Boul,  they  said,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved  and  thy  house.''''  They  expected  that  if 
he  believed,  and  consecrated  his  household  to  God,  God 
would  bless  and  save  his  children.  In  the  same  manner, 
Cornelius  was  informed  that  the  apostle  for  whom  he  was 
directed  to  send,  would  tell  him  "  words  whereby  he  and 
all  his  house  should  be  saved."  They  believed  the  divine 
promise,  and  preached  it  in  all  its  simplicity  and  freeness. 
They  seemed  to  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  the  new  dispensation 


84  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

was  distinguished  by  the  power  of  God  ;  and  they  used  the 
great  principles  of  consecration,  as  if  here  they  might  be 
applied  in  u  manner  more  glorious  and  efficient.  They  did 
not  teach  that  either  parents  or  children  could  be  saved 
without  believing  ;  but  they  did  teach  that  God  would  pour 
his  Spirit  on  their  seed,  and  his  blessing  on  their  offspring. 
According  to  the  truth  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  they 
expected  that  the  faith  of  the  parent  would  produce  prayer 
and  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the  children ;  that  such 
prayer  and  labor  would  be  successful,  because  that  faith 
made  them  heirs  of  the  promise,  "  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee 
and  thy  seed  afler  thee."  They  gloried  in  the  prospect  of 
establishing  over  the  whole  world  this  spiritual  and  per- 
petual covenant,  of  extending  its  privileges  to  all  the  fami- 
lies of  the  earth,  and  thus  providing  the  system  of  influences 
requisite  to  perpetuate  the  universal  triumph  of  the  gospel. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  that  in  the  first  churches,  these 
anticipations  of  the  apostles  were  gloriously  realized,  and 
that  if  the  principles  of  infant  consecration  had  been  trusted, 
and  employed  in  successive  ages,  as  they  were  in  apostolic 
times,  the  gospel  would  have  been,  long  ere  this,  the  reli- 
gion of  mankind — perpetual  in  its  ascendancy,  and  hea- 
venly in  its  operation.  But  when  the  Church  began  to 
degenerate,  although  the  principle  was  maintained,  and  the 
form  was  disproportionately  esteemed,  the  living  faith  and 
enlarged  expectations  of  the  earliest  believers  were  com- 
paratively disregarded. 

4.  The  influence  of  these  principles,  in  the  first  centuries, 
is  strikingly  evinced  hy  the  fact,  that  when  parents  believed, 
they  immediately  consecrated  their  households  to  God, 

On  this  subject  we  are  not  left  to  inference  only :  although 
from  all  the  facts  before  us,  such  an  inference  would  be  una- 
voidable, because  otherwise  we  could  not  explain  the  testi- 
mony of  ecclesiastical  history  ;  and  chiefly,  because  in  this 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  85 

Way  alone  the  apostles  could  act  consistently  with  their  own 
established  and  avowed  principles.  We  should  expect  them 
to  be  in  their  practice  consistent  with  their  sentiments  and 
their  preaching.  We  should  conclude  they  were,  even  if 
no  positive  record  existed  in  reference  to  their  practice. 
The  narrative,  however,  is  not  silent — it  does  speak — and 
so  far  as  it  testifies,  it  proves  that  in  every  case  when  the 
conversion  and  baptism  of  parents  are  particularly  meniion- 
ed,  the  consecration  of  their  households  by  baptism  is  men- 
tioned also.  The  trembling  j  liler,  as  soon  as  he  heard 
the  terms,  embraced  them  and  was  baptized,  he  and  all 
his  straightway.  If,  as  some  suppose,  all  his  household 
believed,  the  force  of  the  principle  would  not  thus  be  aba* 
ted.  This  fact  would  corroborate  the  statement  already 
made,  that  the  apostles  expected  the  conversion  of  house- 
holds to  follow  the  conversion  of  the  parents,  because  tliey 
relied  with  unwavering  faith  on  the  meaning  of  the  Abra- 
hamic  promise.  This  was  the  only  promise  which  would 
warrant  such  an  expectation  ;  and  this  did  warrant  them  to 
invite  parents  to  believe  in  Christ,  in  view  of  the  salvation 
which  they  would  thus  secure  to  themselves  and  their  house- 
hold. If,  however,  there  were  children  too  young  to  be 
baptized,  on  the  profession  of  their  own  faith,  that  same 
promise  would  require  them  to  be  consecrated  on  the  faith 
of  their  parents.  The  language  of  this  passage  speaks  of 
the  jailer's  baptism  as  following  his  own  faith  ;  while  it 
clearly  implies  that  their  baptism  followed  in  consequence 
of  their  relation  to  him.  This  leaves  us  the  conclusion,  that 
his  household  consisted  of  those  who  were  of  nonage,  and 
who  in  their  baptism  were  consecrated  to  God  on  the  faith 
of  the  jailer.  The  record  of  the  conversion  of  Lydia,  whose 
heart  the  Lord  opened,  is  another  confirmation  of  the  pre- 
sent position — *•  and  when  she  was  baptized  and'  her  house 
hold"— the  baptism  of  her  household  seems  to  be  mentioned 

8 


86  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION* 

as  a  matter  of  course,  after  her  own ;  and  yet  while  hef 
heart  is  especially  mentioned  as  opened,  not  a  word  is  said 
respecting  the  failh  of  her  household.  Even  had  the  faith 
been  mentioned,  it  still  would  appear  as  the  immediate  ful- 
filment of  the  covenant  promises ;  while,  according  to  the 
present  mode  of  narration,  the  impression  is,  that  she  con* 
secrated  her  househol  \  immediately  to  God  by  baptism,  in 
full  reliance  on  the  provisions  of  that  covenant.  The  man- 
ner in  which  the  baptism  of  the  household  of  Stephanas  is 
mentioned,  conveys  the  same  impression.  Since,  therefore, 
whenever  the  conversion  and  baptism  of  heads  of  families  are 
recorded,  the  baptism  of  their  families  is  also  recorded, 
while  their  conversion  is  not ;  since,  moreover,  it  is  mani- 
fest that  the  household  dedication  occurred  in  consequence 
of  the  faith  of  the  parents ;  since  in  this  fact  we  see  the 
direct  application  of  those  views  which  the  apostles  always 
avowed  ;  since,  finally,  we  believe  the  apostles  consistent 
in  their  views  and  practices,  we  are  at  once  presented  with 
the  general  custom  of  the  Churches  under  their  ministration. 
It  seems,  that  so  clearly  was  the  promise  presented,  and  so 
joyfully  was  it  received,  that  believing  parents  hastened  to 
devote  their  children  to  the  triune  God,  in  the  same  form  in 
which  they  had  devoted  themselves  forever. 

6.  The  manner  in  which  the  covenant  relation  of  chiU 
dren  was  regarded,  in  apostolic  days,  is  manifest  from  the 
manner  in  xohich  the  consecrated  households  of  believers  were 
treated. 

The  first  thought  is,  that  they  must  have  sought,  and 
generally  witnessed,  the  piety  of  their  offspring  in  very 
early  life.  There  is  nothing  said  of  the  conversion  of  the 
children  of  believers  after  their  arrival  at  adult  age.  So 
far  as- we  can  gather,  the  conversion  of  the  households  ra- 
pidly followed  the  conversion  of  the  parents.  If  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  see  the  conversion  of  children  delayed  until  many 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  87 

years  had  rolled  away,  it  is  probable  that,  in  the  writings 
of  the  apostles  and  evangelists,  we  should  find  some  notice 
of  such  conversions  ;  some  admonitions  in  view  of  such  de- 
lay, and  some  allusions  to  the  great  change  thus  wrought 
in  believing  families.  Instead  of  this,  we  find  parents  di- 
rected to  educate  their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admoni- 
tion of  the  Lord ;  we  find  children  commanded  to  obey  their 
parents  in  all  things ;  we  find  the  animating  promises  of 
the  covenant  reiterated  in  the  instructions  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  accomplished  in  his  operations.  Another  re* 
flection  is,  that  children  of  believing  parents  are  no  where 
mentioned  as  subjects  of  baptism  after  they  have  become 
adults.  No  account  can  be  found  of  the  baptism  of  a  child 
of  Christian  parents,  unless  it  is  found  in  the  cases  of  house- 
hold baptism,  where  the  baptism  was  administered  in  con- 
sequence of  the  faith  of  the  parents,  If  now  we  consider, 
that  the  children  of  believers  were  immediately  consecrated 
to  Christ,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  grace  early  descended  upon 
them,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  their  parents  and  of  the 
whole  Church  ;  so  that  they  generally  had  an  experimental 
knowledge  of  the  gospel,  and  appeared  "  sober  and  steady," 
serious  and  consistent  in  their  deportment ;  of  course,  there 
would  be  no  record  either  of  conversions  or  baptism  in  after 
years.  This  is  precisely  the  state  of  the  case,  as  a  sober 
estimate  of  the  New  Testament  record  would  give  it. 

This  is  the  state  in  which  the  Church  ought  to  be,  not 
only  having  all  the  baptisms  of  her  children  in  infancy,  but 
all  their  sanctification,  early  beginning,  then  growing  with 
their  growth  and  strengthening  with  their  strength.  This  is 
the  state  in  which  the  Church  will  be  when  "  all  shall  know 
the  Lord,  from  the  least  unto  the  greatest,''''  Then  all  her 
children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord,  and  great  shall  be  the 
peace  of  her  children,  A  still  more  impressive  considera- 
tion is,  that  so  important  was  the  relation  regarded,  that 


88  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

even  where  only  one  of  the  parents  was  a  believer,  the  chil* 
dren  were  accounted  holy — "  Else  were  your  children  un- 
eleaUf  but  now  are  they  holy.^^  The  apostle  proves  the  va- 
lidity  of  the  marriage,  although  one  of  the  parties  remained 
an  unbeliever,  perhaps  a  base  idolater,  by  the  fact,  that  the 
children^  in  consequence  of  their  relation  to  the  heliever, 
were  considered  and  treated  as  holy.  The  holiness  here 
predicated  of  the  children  is  relative.  The  words  unclean 
and  holy  are  used  in  reference  to  religious  observances. 
That  was  unclean,  in  an  ancient  Jewish  usage,  which  was 
not  fit  to  be  offered  to  God.  That  was  holy  which  was 
consecrated  to  his  service.  Hence  the  Sabbath,  the 
feast  days,  the  temple,  its  vessels ;  the  priests,  their  vest- 
ments ;  and  the  circumcised  children,  were  all  denominated 
holy.  This  was  the  customary  language  of  the  nation  and 
of  the  Church  for  ages.  When,  therefore,  the  children  of 
a  believer  are  called  holy,  we  understand  that  they  are 
either  actually  consecrated  to  God,  or  are  proper  subjects 
of  religious  consecration.  The  very  manner  in  which  in- 
fant dedication  is  alluded  to  in  this  passage  indicates  how 
universally  it  was  practised,  and  how  highly  it  was  esteem- 
ed among  the  apostolic  Churches.  The  children,  then,  of 
the  Church  are  to  be  regarded  with  peculiar  attention  in 
her  prayers  and  instructions.  By  the  providence  of  God 
they  are  cast,  in  their  helplessness,  upon  her  bosom ;  by 
the  command  of  God,  they  are  claimed  for  his  own,  and 
enstamped  with  the  seal  of  his  covenant.  The  Church,  there- 
fore, is  under  solemn  obligations  to  acknowledge  the  claim, 
by  obeying  the  command ;  and  the  parent  who  refuses  will 
be  responsible  to  God  in  that  day  when  God  shall  judge 
between  the  parent  and  the  child.  If  this  subject  is  in  it- 
self, and  in  its  scriptural  representations,  so  important,  every 
parent  should  give  it  a  deep,  and  prayerful,  and  faithful 
consideration. 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  89 

It  is  time  for  the  whole  Church  to  awake.  A  trust  in- 
estimable in  its  value  is  committed  to  her  faith.  But  her 
slumber  is  appalling.  When  will  she  feel  this  theme  in  all 
its  thrilling  influence  ?  When  will  she  prepare  herself  for 
the  millennial  glory  ?  When  will  she  go  back,  or  rather  as- 
cend to  the  standard  of  apostolic  ages?  In  the  commence- 
ment of  this  chapter  it  was  said,  that  in  the  first  century  the 
principles  of  household  consecration  were  more  highly  ap- 
preciated than  at  any  other  period,  before  or  since.  Is  not 
the  position  substantiated?  How  were  they  honored  in  the 
preparation  for  Messiah's  advent  1.  In  the  whole  course  of 
his  ministry  !  In  the  fulness  and  extent  of  the  apostolic  com^ 
mission !  In  the  freeness  and  exuberant  riches  of  gospel 
proposals  as  apostles  preached  them !  In  the  immediate 
consecration  of  Christian  households  to  the  triune  God! 
In  the  whole  manner  of  treatment  which  the  baptized  chil- 
dren of  the  first  century  received  from  parents  and  apostles, 
from  the  Churches  and  Saviour  !.  Qn  what  period  of  time 
can  we  fasten,  in  the  whole  range  of  ecclesiastical  memory, 
so  highly  distinguished  for  the  spiritual  power  and  gran- 
deur of  this  institution,  as  were  the  purest  and  earliest  years 
of  Christianity  ? 

What  spirit-stirring  motives  evolve  from  the  body  of 
evidence  which  is  now  before  us  ?  We  have  seen  the  foun. 
dationof  this  institution  laid  in  the  great  principles  of  God's 
eternal  government,  and  of  the  family  constitution  j  we 
have  seen  its  principles  characterizing  the  divine  procedures 
until  the  time  of  Abraham ;  and  its  enthronement  signalized 
by  the  stipulations  of  the  covenant,  and  the  appointment  of 
an  external  form  of  consecration  ;  we  have  seen  in  its  con- 
finement to  the  Jews,  and  in  its  power  of  preserving  the 
Jewish  Church  until  Shiloh  came,  one  long  successful  expe- 
riment of  its  energy  ;  we  have  seen  the  incontrovertible 
evidence  of  that  covenant's  perpetual  nature ;  of  its  exten^ 
8* 


90  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

sion,  with  all  its  spiritual  blessings  enhanced,  over  the 
Gentile  world  ;  we  have  seen  the  title  of  believing  Gentiles 
to  its  promises  incontestably  established ;  we  have  listened 
to  its  assurances  of  mercy  to  believers  in  behalf  of  their 
children ;  we  have  felt  that  while  the  ancient  seal  was  abo- 
lished, a  more  appropriate,  significant  and  universal  one 
was  wisely  established  in  the  form  of  baptism.  "We  have 
seen  the  whole  testimony  of  ecclesiastical  history  ascribing 
this  change  of  the  seal  to  the  days  of  the  apostles  ;  we  have 
seen  in  the  records,  the  inspired  and  infallible  records,  of 
those  days,  evidence  that  then  this  institution  flourished  with 
universal  honor,  uncorrupted  purity,  and  transcendant  pow- 
er !  In  view  of  this  overwhelming  mass  of  proof,  we  there- 
fore call  upon  the  Church  :  "  Be  not  faithless,  but  believ- 
ing." An  institution  thus  distinguished,  thus  established, 
thus  interwoven  with  all  the  vital  interests  of  religion  dur- 
ing four  thousand  years,  is  worthy  of  our  entire,  increasing, 
and  unceasing  confidence. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Utility  of  household  consecration.  The  state  of  mind  essential  to  its  ac- 
ceptable  performance.  The  distinct  and  solemn  pledge.  Its  actual 
bearing  on  parental  duties. 

If  God  has  ordained  the  practice  of  infant  consecration, 
it  is  presumptuous  to  question  its  utility.  Even  if  we  could 
not  at  once  prove  its  utility,  from  its  inherent  adaptation* 
or  its  practical  results,  we  should  be  bound  to  maintain  it 
faithfully,  and  prize  it  highly.  Genuine  faith  in  God 
shrinks  not  from  obedience,  even  when  his  command  is 
dark  and  mysterious.  Here,  however,  is  no  dark  and  mys- 
terious command.  The  obedience  of  faith  would  leave 
the  parent  even  to  sacrifice  his  son,  his  only  son  ;  his  son  of 
promise  and  of  love,  if  God  required  it.  Here,  however, 
no  sacrifice  is  demanded. 

Our  belief  in  the  importance  of  this  institution  does  not 
depend  simply  on  its  divine  authority.  In  its  very  nature 
and  bearing,  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  its  salutary  in- 
fluence. In  the  living  facts  of  its  history,  and  the  won. 
drous  sanctions  of  the  Spirit,  there  is  demonstration  strong 
of  its  honorable  connection  with  the  divine  economy. 
Whether  we  contemplate  its  impressive  agency  on  the 
parent,  on  the  childf  on  the  Church,  on  the  world,  we  are 
constrained  to  believe  that,  considering  simply  its  practical 
tendencies,  the  Christian  Church  has  not  another  ceremony 
of  equal  value. 

The  reader  is  requested  to  bear  in  mind  that  I  speak  of 
infant  dedication  as  it  has  been  defined  and  defended  in  the 
preceding  chapters,  I  shall  not  undertake  to  prove  the  uti- 
lity  of  a  spurious  consecration.     I  reject  alike  that  which, 


92  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

having  the  form,  denies  the  power,  and  that  which,  confi. 
dent  of  the  power,  contemns  the  form.  If  there  be  infant 
consecration"  to  false  gods,  or  to  an  imaginary  god,  or  even 
to  the  true  God,  with  a  false  heart,  it  is  no  part  of  mine  to 
eulogize  its  practical  operation.  The  argument  of  these 
chapters  is  not  responsible  for  the  infant  dedication  of  a  cor- 
rupted Christianity  in  any  land,  family,  circumstances^  or 
generation. 

The  infant  consecration  here  solemnly  urged,  is  that 
which  the  **  father  of  us  all"  first  practised,  and  which 
the  Saviour  himself  modified  for  all  nations,  and  con- 
firmed for  all  ages.  I  shall  therefore  attempt  to  show  in 
what  manner  the  ordinance  of  infant  consecration  produces 
the  parental  faithfulness,  and  in  what  manner  God  blesses 
that  faithfulness  in  remembrance  of  his  holy  covenant. 
Thus  it  will  appear  that  through  this  institution  a  stream  of 
beneficial  influence  is  conveyed,  that  makes  glad  the  city 
of  our  God. 

1.  The  utility  of  househoid  consecration  is  inferred 
from  the  state  of  the  mind  esseniical  to  its  most  acceptable 
performance.  The  parents  are  supposed  to  be  true  believ- 
ers, they  regard  the  terms  of  the  covenant  as  just,  its  pro- 
mises as  infinitely  precious,  and  its  appointed  seal  as  a  sig- 
nificant token  of  his  gracious  design,  and  of  their  confiding 
love.  They  regard  the  special  promise  of  persevering 
grace  to  them,  as  giving  them  a  strong  foundation,  for 
prosecuting  their  holy  plans  in  their  household.  They  re- 
gard the  conditional  promise  of  grace  fOr  their  offspring,  as 
affording  them  a  full  opportunity  for  trying  the  strength  of 
vigorous,  household  faith.  They  see  that  it  opens  to  their 
access  inexhaustible  stores  of  grace.  Promise  rises  upon 
promise,  prize  upon  prize.  One  apartment  of  mercy 
opens  into  another.  The  angel  of  the  covenant  throws 
wide  its  portals,  and  beckons  them  still  to  advance.     The 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  93 

continuance  of  God's  Church  in  their  household  :  the  sal- 
vation of  each  individual  member  :  the  needful  temporal 
welfare  :  the  high  attainments  of  holiness  :  the  distin- 
guished usefulness  of  their  children  :  the  surpassing  de- 
grees of  celestial  glory  :  and  all  these  not  for  one  genera- 
tion, but  by  the  extension  of  the  vital  principle  of  conse. 
cration,  for  a  thousand.  These  are  the  promises  of  the 
covenant,  in  their  glorious  gradation ;  and  the  pathway  of 
ascent  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest,  is  open  to  the  aspir- 
ings of  parental  faith ! 

He  regards  the  sacred  seal,  as  implying  an  entire  con* 
secration  of  himself  and  his  household  to  these  lofty  pro- 
mises and  purposes  of  the  covenant.     He  is  admonished 
that  this  relation  is  gained  only  through  faith,  is  maintain- 
ed only  through  faith.     The  example  of  the  unbelieving 
Jew  is  before  him.     The  danger,  the  guilt,  the  consequent 
ces  of  covenant  violations,  of  parental  unfaithfulness,  are 
all  before  him  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  and  the  records, 
of  the  covenant.     Suppose  the  parent  to  ponder  these  things 
deeply  in  his  heart ;  then  let  him  come  to  the  altar  of  con- 
secration, with  that  state  of  mind  which  all  these  considera- 
tions produce  and    sanction,     I  appeal  to   philosophy,   to 
common  sense,  to  experience,  when  I  say  that  a  powerful 
parental   influence  must  be  secured  by  that  state  of  mind 
here    supposed.     The  value  of  the  child  ;  its  depravity  ; 
its  exposure  ;  its  need  of  regeneration  ;  the  great  principle 
of  the  divine  government  in  its  dealings  with   parents  ;  the 
development  of  that  principle  in  the  Abrahamic  covenant ; 
the  solemen  earnestness  and  fulness  of  that  promise ;  the 
privileges  conferred  by  the  gospel  on  the  Gentiles ;  the  ne- 
cessity of  self-examination  ;  of  genuine  faith;  of  an  entire 
surrender  of  the  young  immortal ;  the  conviction  of  personal 
parental  responsibility  combined  with  a  sense  of  personal 
insufficiency,  and  with  the  strength  of  parental  affection — * 


94  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

all  these,  pressing  on  the  soul,  must  render  the  scene  of  bap. 
tism,  to  the  spiritual  parent,  intensely  impressive  and  over- 
whelming. If  ever  strong  resolves  of  parental  faithfulness 
can  be  formed,  they  could  be  formed  then.  Jf  ever  the 
soul  of  man  braces  herself  for  high  and  noble  efforts,  it  is 
just  when  all  the  arguments  of  fear,  with  all  the  animation 
of  hope,'blend  their  strength  in  one  impulse,  and  urge  her 
on  to  one  specific  movement.  To  deny  the  practical  ener- 
gy of  such  consecration,  would  be  to  reason  against  all  the 
laws  of  mind,  and  all  the  principles  of  sound  philosophy. 

2.  The  utility  of  this  ordinance  is  evident  from  the  fact, 
that  the  act  of  consecration  involves,  on  the  part  of  the  fa* 
rents,  a  distinct  and  solemn  pledge  to  educate  the  child  for 
Jehovah* 

The  reasons  why  such  a  pledge  might  wisely  be  re- 
quired were  stated  in  the  first  two  chapters.  Several  fun. 
damental  reasons,  not  for  believing  in  infant  baptism,  but 
for  the  institution  of  infant  consecration,  were  then  stated. 
It  is  reasonable  that,  if  moral  influence  is  in  itself  so  power- 
ful, and  in  its  family  relations  so  energetic  ;  if  depravity  is 
entire  and  universal,  and  if  God  designs  to  bestow  the  in- 
fluences of  his  grace  in  connection  with  parental  faithful- 
ness, a  distinct  and  solemn  pledge  should  be  required  of 
parents  to  consecrate  their  whole  parental  influence  to  the 
Lord.  Such  a  pledge  is  required  and  given  in  the  ordinance 
of  infant  dedication.  The  parent  there  acknowledges  the 
absolute  right  of  God  to  his  child  ;  the  capacity  of  his  child 
for  moral  government ;  the  force  and  abiding  reality  of  pa- 
rental obligation  ;  his  own  dependence  on  the  atoning  and 
regenerating  grace  of  God  ;  and  in  view  of  all  the  invisible 
relations  connected  with  the  spiritual  nature  and  destiny  of 
his  offspring,  he  gives  the  pledge  that  he  will  faithfully  in, 
struct,  guide,  restrain,  and  educate,  intellectually  and  mo-» 
rally,  thcit  immortal  spirit  for  heaven,     \\.  is  given  at  the 


HOUSEJIOLD   CONSECRATION.  95 

family  altar ;  it  is  given  in  the  house  of  God ;  it  is  inscribed 
on  every  parental  and  eVery  Christian  memorial ;  it  is  given 
in  presence  of  his  household — of  the  Church,  of  the  world, 
of  ministering  angels,  and  a  covenant-keeping  God.  It  is 
given  in  a  state  of  mind  most  calculated,  of  all  others,  to 
insure  it  a  power,  a  meaning,  and  a  spiritual  energy.  It  is 
useless  to  say,  that  the  parent  will  discharge  his  duties  as 
well  without  giving  a  pledge  as  with.  We  do  not  reason 
thus  on  any  other  subject.  The  merchant  does  not  reason 
thus  in  his  business.  God  has  not  reasoned  thus  in  the  mar- 
riage institution,  nor  in  requiring  his  followers  to  pledge 
themselves  by  a  public  profession  to  be  faithful.  Our  fa- 
thers did  not  reason  thus  in  signing  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. Nations  have  not  reasoned  thus  in  crowning 
their  monarchs.  Among  all  nations,  and  in  all  institutions, 
human  and  divine,  when  great  interests  are  at  stake,  the 
pledge,  the  sacred,  inviolable  pledge,  has  been  required, 
both  by  the  dictates  of  human  nature,  of  reason,  and  reli- 
gion. It  is  folly  thus  to  argue  against  all  the  current  of 
human  experiencCj  and  against  all  the  principles  of  human 
practice. 

To  disprove  the  utility  of  a  pledge  in  these  circum- 
stances, it  is  essential  to  prove  that  the  interest  at  stake  is 
of  small  moment ;  that  the  common  practice  of  all  mankind 
is  useless ;  or  that  a  piedgCj  in  these  circumstances,  will 
not  have  the  same  tendency  as  in  others.  The  opposite  of 
each  of  these  is  self-evident,  and  the  demonstration  is  mo* 
rally  invulnerable,  that  if  a  pledge  is  important  any  where, 
it  is  here.  If  it  is  rational  any  where,  it  is  here*  If  it 
is  powerful  any  where,  it  must  be  peculiarly  powerful 
here.  The  souls  of  a  household  !  entrusted  to  the  mo* 
ral  culture  of  two  frail,  trembling,  and  imperfect  be- 
ings !  Where  is  the  parental  heart  ?  where  the  heart  of 
faith,  or  mercy,  or  compassion,  which  would  not  wish  to 


96  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

have  secured  to  those  souls,  as  strongly  as  possible,  those 
means  and  mfluences  on  which  their  eternal  welfare  de- 
pends ?  Who  C!in  fail  to  see  how  well  the  ordinance  of 
infant  consecration  is  adapted  to  give  this  security  ? 

3.   The  utility  of  infant  baptism  is  manifest  from  its  ac» 
tual  bearing  on  the  performanee  of  parental  duties. 

The  parents  retire  from  the  sanctuary  to  the  household 
hearth.  There  they  bow  at  the  family  altar.  They  plead  for 
the  soul  which  they  have  given  to  God.  They  reiterate 
their  vows,  and  commend  their  child  to  the  Spirit  of  the 
covenant.  Can  they  do  less,  if  they  act  according  to  their 
strongest  feelings  and  solemn  promises  ?  Where  has  family 
worship  been  most  faithfully  maintained  ?  Unquestionably, 
where  the  household  dedication  advocated  in  these  chapters 
has  been  most  faithfully  performed.  I  appeal  to  Scotland, 
to  England,  to  the  United  States,  as  compared  with  other 
countries.  I  appeal  to  the  history  of  those  Churches  which 
have  most  clearly  understood  these  principles  and  most 
highly  proved  them.  The  maintenance  of  family  worship 
is  regarded  as  a  sacred,  indispensable  duty,  generally  if  not 
universally,  in  those  Churches  where  family  consecration 
is  rightly  practised.  As  a  convincing  illustration  of  this^ 
we  need  but  present,  as  a  specimen  of  a  whole  class,  the 
household  worship  of  New-England.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
extend  the  comparison  minutely,  through  different  denomi- 
nations, yet  let  the  inquiry  be  prosecuted  ever  so  exten- 
sively, the  same  principle  would  gather  continual  confirma- 
tion. It  is  painful  to  present  the  other  side  of  the  picture. 
An  aged  godly  minister  once  said,  when  addressing  a  Churchy 
who,  like  himself,  rejected  infant  dedication,  "  lam  acquaint- 
ed with  the  state  of  our  Churches  in  all  this  region,  and  there 
are  but  few  members  who  maintain  family  worship.^*  This 
assertion  could  never  be  made  respecting  families  who  prac- 
tise infant  consecration  on  the  principles  here  professed- 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  97 

What  glowing  interest  must  these  principles  awaken  in  the 
bosom  of  the  family  circle  ! 

«  The  saint,  the  father,  and  the  husband  prays."  They 
not  only  preserve  family  worship,  but  they  purify,  inspire, 
and  ennoble  it. 

If  the  parents  are  prompted  to  maintain  family  worship, 
in  consequence  of  their  covenant  faith  and  engagements, 
they  will,  in  the  same  manner,  be  influenced  to  diligence  in 
family  instruction.     They  will  draw  around  them  the  con- 
secrated group.     The  father,  when  he  sitteth  down,  and 
when  he  riseth  up,  when  he  goeth  out,  and  when  he  cometh 
in,  in  the  house,  and  by  the  way.    The  mother  in  the  closet 
and  in  the  nursery,  each  in  their  respective  stations  ;  both 
at  their  united  domestic  fireside.     They  will  instruct  them. 
Such  is  the  inference  forced  upon  us,  for  according  as 
family  worship  is  neglected  or  honored,  so  will  it  generally 
be  with  religious  instruction.     The  facts  correspond  with 
the   inference.     The    catechetical   instruction ;    the  strict 
household  regulations ;  the  stern  doctrinal  and  moral  prin- 
ciples, instilled  even  with  proverbial  diligence  by  our  an- 
cestors ;  the  Sabbath  school  instruction ;  the  maternal  asso- 
ciation, the  simplified  religious  reading  in  modern  times,  all 
bear  witness  to  the  truth  of  these  statements,  and  have 
chiefly  originated  among  those  who  baptize  their  children, 
and  have  been  mainly  propelled  by  the  zeal  which  the 
coals   from   this   altar   have   enkindled.     It   is  true  that 
much   is  now  done  where  the  ordinance  of  infant  dedi- 
cation is  not  practised  ;  that  an  increasing  interest  is  now 
felt,  there  is  no  doubt ;  other  truths  and  principles  have 
operated,  in  a  measure,  to  stimulate ;  and  more  especially 
the  presence  and  example  of  infant  consecration  in  the  same 
neighborhoods  has  counteracted  the  tendency  of  neglect  in 
many  families.     Yet  the  inspiring,  moving  spring  of  this 
9 


98  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION* 

unusual  interest  is  manifestly  the  spirit  of  household  dedi* 
cation. 

For  the  same  reasons'that  family  worship  and  instruction 
are  nourished  by  this  influence,  will  intellectual  education 
he  promoted.  The  parents  feel  that  the  minds  for  whose 
moral  culture  God  has  adapted^ such  a  special  system  of 
provision,  ought  to  receive  the  beat  possible  intellectual  cul- 
tivation. Hence  the  principles  of  infant  consecration  have 
always  tended  to  promote  the  general  education  of  youth. 
Again  I  mention  Scotland,  England,  the  United  States,  and 
especially  New-England.  To  mention  these  countries, 
especially  the  last,  is  sufficient.  Their  common  schools  ; 
their  educated  ministry;  their  literary  and  scientific  insti- 
tutions ;  their  numerous  publications,  in  volumes  and  peri- 
odicals, and  their  general  intelligence,  are  known  and  ho- 
nored of  all  men. 

The  parents  who  are  influenced  as  described  above  will 
train  up  their  households  to  sanctify  the  Sahbath. 

The  mind  imbued  with  the  reasonings  which  establish 
the  divine  authority  of  infant  baptism,  will  feel  the  beauty 
and  force  of  that  which  sustains  the  divine  authority  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath.  On  the  other  hand,  those  who  have 
taught  the  abolition  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  have  ex- 
tensively advocated  the  abrogation  of  the  fourth  command- 
ment. The  heart  which  prizes  most  highly  the  covenant 
of  consecration,  will  naturally  feel  most  deeply  the  value 
of  the  Lord's  sacred  day.  The  same  manner  of  investi- 
gation, adopted  under  the  other  specifications,  will  equally 
illustrate  the  correspondence  of  the  history  with  the  logical 
deductions. 

If  these  things  are  so  ;  if  family  worship  and  instruc- 
tion, if  the  benign  influences  of  liberal  education,  and  the 
auspicious  energies  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  are  promoted, 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  99 

preserved,  and  elevated,  through  the  influence  of  household 
consecration,  can  any  man  question  its  manifest  and  its  sur- 
passing utility  ?  If,  moreover,  its  living  truths,  its  solemn 
pledge,  and  its  actual  bearing  on  the  performance  of  parental 
duties,  are  so  conspicuous,  how  salutary  nnust  be  its  influence 
on  the  formation  of  parental  character.  The  constant  exer- 
cise of  such  Abrahamic  faith,  of  such  patriarchal  solicitude, 
of  such  strong,  deep,  and  prevailing  prayer,  as  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  pledge,  the  development  of  these  principles,  and 
the  performance  of  these  duties  demand,  must  tend  to  form 
a  lovely,  steadfast,  and  consistent  character.  How  sweetly 
must  it  combine  warmth  of  affection  with  vigor  of  intellect, 
and  domestic  cheerfulness  with  holiness  of  conversation. 
It  is  "  as  the  dew  of  Hermon,  and  as  the  dew  that  de- 
scended on  the  mountains  of  Zion  ;  for  there  the  Lord  com- 
manded the  blessing,  even  life  for  evermore." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Utility  of  household  consecration  continued.  Its  influence  on  consecra- 
ted children.  Examples — its  connection  with  prevailing  prayer.  Ex- 
amples— the  early  conversion  of  children. 

Having  considered  in  what  manner  the  ordinance  of 
infant  consecration  produces  parental  faithfulness,  we  shall 
proceed  to  inquire  in  what  manner  God  Messes  that  faith, 
fulness f  in  rememhrance  of  his  holy  covenant.  Hence  we 
remark, 

4.  That  the  utility  of  this  ordinance  is  manifest,  from, 
the  restraining  moral  influence  which  it  exerts  upon  the  minds 
of  consecrated  children  while  impenitent. 

A  pious  lady,  being  solicited  by  her  daughters  for  per- 
mission to  attend  a  ball,  replied.  My  dear  children,  in  your 
infancy  I  consecrated  you  to  the  Saviour ;  how  then  can  I 
give  my  consent  to  your  request  ? — I  have  dedicated  you  to 
him  forever — do  you  wish  to  break  away  from  that  dedi- 
cation ?  Will  you  not  rather  yourselves  now  consent  to 
that  precious  covenant  ?  They  paused,  considered,  assent- 
ed to  her  decision,  and  rejoiced  that  they  had  a  mother  who 
was  steadfast  to  her  baptismal  engagements. 

A  young  lad,  over  whose  infancy  a  dying  mother 
breathed  her  prayer  of  faith,  and  over  whose  earliest  years 
the  watchfulness  of  that  mother's  parents  and  sisters  exer- 
cised the  care  of  holy  affection,  was  once  strongly  tempted, 
when  at  play  with  his  shoolmates,  to  take  the  name  of  his 
covenant  God  in  vain.  So  powerful  was  the  temptation, 
that  he  even  resolved  to  venture  his  first  oath.  The  word 
was  forming  on  his  lips,  when  the  thought  of  his  infant  de- 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  101 

dication  rushed  to  mind  !  How  can  I  profane  that  sacred 
name  which  has  been  sealed  upon  me  by  the  command  of 
divine  mercy,  and  the  faith  of  parental  love  ?  Th.'it  oath 
was  never  uttered — and  that  child,  in  all  future  temptation, 
was  preserved  from  the  sin  of  profaneness. 

An  intelligent  gentleman,  not  himself  a  professor,  says 
that  he  should  infer  from  his  own  experience,  that  this  or, 
dinance  is  more  valuable  for  its  practical  tendencies,  than 
any  other  in  the  Christian  Church.  The  thought  of  his 
own  infant  baptism  had  powerfully  restrained  him  amidst 
the  temptations  of  life,  and  preserved  his  character  from  vice 
and  immorality.  To  these  examples  multitudes  might  be 
added,  showing  in  what  manner  the  finger  of  God,  through 
this  institution,  often  touches  the  impenitent  heart.^ — The 
public  morals  of  those  communities  where  this  ordinance  is 
practised  in  its  spiritual  import,  afford  an  appropriate  illus^ 
tration  of  its  restraining  influence. 

5.  The  utility  is  evinced  from  the  manner  in  which  God 
answers  the  prayers  of  his  people  while  directly  pleading  the 
covenant  promises. 

It  was  the  privilege  of  the  writer  to  attend  a  protracted 
meeting  in  one  of  our  loveliest  villages,  which  was  charac» 
terized  with  thrilling  exhibitions  of  the  power  of  the  cove, 
rant.  A  brother  in  the  ministry,  whose  mind  had  been 
long  awake  to  the  importance  of  this  subject,  being  grieved 
at  the  lifeless  aspect  of  a  very  large  Church,  had  almost  re, 
solved  to  abandon  the  scene  of  labor.  He  inquired  of  the 
pastor  if  there  were  many  baptized  youth  in  his  congrega- 
tion who  were  unconverted.  Yes,  said  he,  there  are  very 
many.  Then  I  will  stay.  This  subject  of  infant  dedication 
was  immediately  presented  before  the  congregation.  The 
baptismal  vows  of  believing  parents,  and  the  consequent 
guilt  of  their  stupidity  in  such  a  season,  were  urged  with 
holy  fervor.  The  fountain  was  unsealed — the  waters  of 
repentance  flowed — parents  pressed  forward  with  their 
9* 


102  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

children,  to  renew  their  vom's,  and  supplicate  forgiveness 
for  themselves,  and  salvation  for  their  offspring — baptized 
children  whose  parents  wore  not  present  were  invited,  and 
came  trembling  forward  to  solicit  the  prayers  of  the  Church 
— parents  baptized  in  infancy,  but  unconverted,  and  by 
their  unbelief  cutting  off  themselves  and  their  children  from 
the  covenant  blessing,  came  with  weeping  also — and,  while 
united  hearts  plead  the  glorious  promises  of  the  Abrahamic 
covenant,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  down  like  rain  upon 
the  mown  grass,  and  from  that  moment  the  work  progress- 
ed until  many  souls  were  added  to  the  Lord.  Similar  ex- 
hibitions have  oflen  been  witnessed  in  scenes  of  revival. 
And  were  inquiry  to  be  strictly  made  into  the  more  secret 
springs  of  influence,  it  would  oflen  be  found  that  the  win- 
dows of  heaven  were  opened  by  some  strong  grasp  of  the 
covenant. 

In  the  ordinary  circumstances  of  the  Church,  and  in  the 
spiritual  history  of  individuals,  the  connection  of  household 
promise  with  prevailing  prayer,  is  abundantly  exhibited. 
A  lawyer,  while  visiting  the  place  where  the  work  of  God 
was  progressing,  was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  guilt  and 
danger,  and  sought  the  prayers  of  Christians.  The  little 
prayer  meeting]  was  nearly  closing,  and  he  still  refused  to 
surrender.  "  He  is  a  baptized  child,"  it  was  said.  The 
prayer  was  renewed — the  covenat  promise  urged  at  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  he  rose  up  rejoicing  in  the  Lord.  A 
believing  wife  states,  that  she  distinctly  remembers  the  hour 
when  her  husband  (now  occupying  a  sphere  of  distinguish- 
ed usefulness  in  the  Church)  was  delivered  from  the  bon- 
dage of  sin  while  prayer  was  made  unto  God  for  him,  on 
the  ground  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant.  Instances  of  a 
similar  character  might  be  recounted  till  they  should  fill  the 
pages  of  a  volume.  And  in  this  age  of  revivals,  it  is  the 
solemn  duty  of  the  Church  to  make  known  these  wonders 
of  grace. 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  103 

6.  The  utility  of  infant  consecration  is  most  appropri- 
ately exhibited  by  its  bearing  on  the  early  conversion  of 
children. 

It  presents  this  subject  in  its  true  aspect  before  the 
Church.  It  proclaims  their  need  of  regeneration  ;  it  points 
to  the  atonement  as  their  only  hope,  and  to  the  Spirit  of  God 
as  the  almighty  agent.  It  encourages  them  to  plead  for 
its  speedy  renovation.  Should  the  parent  who  believes  in 
the  ability  and  willingness  of  God  to  regenerate  the  infant, 
when  he  is  about  to  translate  him  to  another  world,  exer- 
cise  the  same  faith  in  God  in  reference  to  the  continuance 
of  his  life  on  earth  ;  should  he  seek,  not  merely  that  the 
infant  may  be  saved,  but  that  he  may  glorify  God  in  his 
whole  earthly  existence,  and  therefore  plead  for  his  early 
conversion  with  that  intense  earnestness  which  sometimes 
wrestles  with  God  at  the  dying  bed  of  some  hardened  and 
abandoned  child  of  the  covenant,  this  would  be  acting  accord, 
ing  to  the  spirit  of  the  ordinance.  In  whatever  degree 
parental  faithfulness  has  thus  taken  hold  of  the  covenant, 
the  blessing  of  God  has  been  accordingly  granted.  The 
mother  of  Samuel  acted  thus  when  she  consecrated  him  to 
God,  and  multitudes  of  parents  in  ages  since  have  rejoiced 
in  the  same  covenant  promise  fulfilled  in  early  childhood. 
In  proof  of  this,  the  names  of  many  distinguished  divines 
and  holy  men,  in  all  ages,  might  be  adduced.  This  sub- 
ject  is  now  happily  growing  in  importance,  and  there  have 
recently  been  many  examples  of  the  conversion  of  house- 
holds, especially  in  connection  with  prayer,  which  has 
plead  the  Abrahamic  promise.  A  clergyman  states,  that 
after  a  season  of  special  prayer  with  God  for  his  consecra- 
ted little  ones,  he  obtained  delightful  evidence  that  they 
had  given  their  hearts  to  God.  The  great  subject  which 
filled  his  thoughts,  and  his  wrestling  prayers,  was  the  glory 
of  (xod  as  connected  with  the  household  covenant.     There 


104  HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION. 

should  be,  indeed,  great  faithfulness  in  deciding  on  the  evi- 
dence presented,  but  the  parental  niind,  rightly  affected  by 
these  views,  will  rather  expect  daily  to  behold  such  evidence 
than  be  surprised  at  its  occurrence.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered, that  the  grand  object  is  not  simply  their  conversion, 
it  is  that  they  may  be  holy  in  all  their  life ;  that  they  may 
honor  the  gospel  by  their  whole  course  of  action  ;  that  they 
may  be  trained  for  the  service  of  Christ  as  faithful  soldiers 
that  God  may  be  glorified,  in  the  highest  possible  degree, 
through  the  family  constitution.  To  this  their  conversion 
is  subordinate  and  essential.  Until  the  parent  can  be  satis- 
fied of  the  conversion,  he  cannot  be  assured  of  the  higher 
and  grander  object. — Therefore,  he  should  give  him  no 
rest  until  the  reign  of  grace  is  manifestly  established 
throughout  the  household.  The  increase  of  this  spirit  is 
one  of  the  brightest  harbingers  of  millennial  glory.  It  is  in- 
describably important  as  connected  with  the  efforts  now 
made  to  instruct  the  rising  generation.  While  we  are 
pouring  light  upon  their  tender  age,  with  what  intense  fer- 
vor should  we  beseech  the  genial  influences  of  grace.  It 
is  true  that  most  affecting  instances  might  be  mentioned  of 
the  power  of  infant  consecration,  to  affect  the  mind  of  bar- 
dened  and  abandoned  sinners,  when  all  other  means  have 
failed  ;  and  the  grace  of  God  in  these  marvellous  outgoings 
of  its  healing  virtue,  deserves  our  loudest  praise  ;  yet  the 
primary  and  regular  operation  of  this  gracious  economy 
is  in  its  own  legitimate  and  direct  bearing  on  the  early  re- 
generation  of  children.  O,  when  will  Zion  understand  the 
depth,  the  sweetness,  the  purity  of  her  own  ancient  and 
everlasting  fountains. 

On  the  whole,  there  are  several  considerations  connected 
with  this  subject  which  may  well  astonish  us.  It  is  aston- 
ishing that  the  Church  has  not  appreciated  these  wonderful 
privileges  more  justly.     It  is  astonishing  that  notwithstand- 


HOirSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  105 

ing  her  cn'mmaZ  unfaithfulness,  the  covenant  promises  have 
been  fulfilled  so  manifestly.  It  is,  finally,  astonishing,  that 
any  should  be  disposed,  afler  such  demonstrations  as  the 
history  of  Zion  affords,  to  question  the  utility  of  infant  con- 
secration. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Utility  of  household  consecration  continued.  Relation  of  baptized  chil- 
dren to  the  Church.  Influence  on  the  prosperity  of  the  Church.  The 
theory. 

The  utility  of  infant  consecration  will  farther  appear 
to  every  reflecting  mind, 

7,  By  contemplating  the  relation  which  baptized  children 
sustain  to  the  Church. 

Having  by  the  act  of  the  parent  received  the  seal  of 
the  great  ecclesiastical  covenant,  they  are  included  in  the 
relative  promise  made  to  the  parent.  They  will  not  be  inclu- 
ded in  the  personal  promise  of  grace  made  to  the  believer, 
until  they  exercise  the  faith  required.  On  the  profession 
of  genuine  faith  in  the  triune  God,  their  baptism  becomes 
to  them  a  token  of  their  personal  interest  in  his  saving  grace. 
Until  they  will  do  this,  they  are  not  permitted  to  commune 
at  his  table,  nor  to  present  their  own  children  in  consecra- 
tion. Thus  by  their  voluntary  impenitence  and  unbelief, 
they  exclude  themselves  from  fellowship  with  the  Church. 
Their  own  dedication  to  God  in  childhood,  if  they  resist  the 
righteous  claim,  cannot  qualify  them  for  the  Lord's  supper, 
or  for  the  baptism  of  their  households,  because  these  are 
ordinances  in  which  they  must  personally  act,  and  the  action 
required  is  the  exercise  and  expression  of  living  faith.  In 
this  holy  manner  the  ancient  Hebrew  was  commanded  to 
observe  the  ordinances  of  the  Church,  and  he  was  forbidden 
to  participate  with  a  wicked  heart.  Ps.  1.  16  :  *'  But  unto 
the  wicked  God  saith,  What  hast  thou  to  do  to  declare  my 
statutes,  or  that  thou  shouldst  take  my  covenant  in  thy 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  107 

Irsouth  ?"  This  relation,  while  it  does  not  authorize  them  to 
enjoy  the  privileges  peculiar  to  believers,  does,  however, 
powerfully  affect  their  condition. 

It  hinds  the  Church  to  watch  for  their  souls,  through 
their  parents.  By  consecrating  them  to  Christ,  the  parents 
have  covenanted  to  labor  for  their  salvation.  By  the 
Church  covenant,  all  the  members  have  engaged  to  watch 
over  each  other  in  this  respect,  as  well  as  in  all  others.  If, 
then,  a  parent  neglects  his  duty,  the  Church  is  bound  by 
her  covenant  with  him  to  admonish  him  faithfully,  and  to 
require  the  performance.  If  she  does  not  do  this,  she 
breaks  her  covenant.  The  pastor,  too,  is  pledged  to  watch 
over  the  Church,  the  parents,  and  the  children,  and  see  to 
it  that  family  worship,  government,  instruction,  and  the 
ordinances  of  the  Sabbath  and  sanctuary,  are  secured  to 
every  household  of  his  Church.  The  well  regulated  and 
faithful  covenant-keeping  Church  will  certainly  make  it 
sure  that  the  baptismal  vows  are  regarded.  Of  course,  if 
the  Church  regarding  this  relation  does  thus,  through  the 
parents,  act  on  the  lambs  of  the  flock,  their  moral  character 
and  condition  must  be  moulded  under  her  influence.  In 
another  manner  still  this  relation  affects  their  condition. 

It  hinds  the  parents  to  press  upon  them  the  claims  of  the 
Church.  Suppose  the  child  well  instructed  in  the  princi- 
ples of  his  consecration — that  God,  by  ordaining  it,  has 
turned  the  eye  of  the  Church  especially  upon  him,  and  has 
presented  both  his  righteous  claim  and  his  merciful  offer 
by  the  hand  of  parental  affection — apples  of  gold  in  pic* 
tures  of  silver.  The  question  at  once  arises,  shall  I  acknow- 
ledge that  claim  and  accept  that  offer  ?  God  having  mer- 
cifully propounded  them — my  parents  having  coincided  with 
them — shall  I  comply  ?  It  is  difficult  to  perceive  in  what 
manner  the  gospel  proposal  could  be  introduced  to  the  mind 


108  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

of  a  young  child,  better  adapted  to  enlist  his  intellect  and 
melt  his  heart. 

Suppose,  now,  that  child  witnesses  the  communion. — 
Not  being  permitted  to  partake,  he  inquires  the  reason  ? 
The  parent  explains.  In  participating  with  me  in  this  ordi- 
nance, you  would  profess  that  with  an  honest  heart  you 
have  trusted  in  Christ.  You  have  given  me  no  evidence 
that  you  are  prepared  to  make  this  profession.  I  am 
grieved  that  you  are  not.  Will  you  now  consent  to  the 
entire  surrender  which,  as  a  parent,  I  made  of  you  to  Christ  ? 
Will  you  from  this  time  be  his,  unreservedly,  and  forever  ? 
O,  do  not  exclude  yourself  from  these  privileges  any 
longer. 

Suppose  the  parent  weekly,  daily,  should  urge  his 
household  to  be  prepared  for  the  next  communion — that  he 
should  expostulate,  portray  the  divine  mercy,  dwell  on  the 
guilt  of  a  refusal,  on  the  danger  of  procrastination,  on  the 
strong  motives  for  immediate  compliance.  Now  it  is  mani- 
fest that  this  method  of  parental  exertion,  springing,  as  it 
does,  legitimately  from  the  nature  of  the  relation  itself,  and 
existing  just  so  far  as  that  relation  is  understood  and  felt, 
cannot  fail  to  furnish  seasons  in  the  domestic  history,  when 
the  sense  of  personal  responsibility  will  be  overwhelming, 
and  when  the  thrilling  call  of  the  gospel  will  pass  down  into 
the  deep  places  of  the  soul.  This  relation,  moreover,  has 
another  bearing. 

It  hinds  all  the  memhers  of  the  Church  to  watch  for  the 
souls  of  the  household  when  the  parents  die.  When  God  in 
his  holy  providence  calls  the  parent  away,  that  parent  has 
a  right  to  point  the  Church  to  his  orphan  boy,  and  say, 
Woman,  behold  thy  son  !  The  influence  of  such  feelings 
is  elevating — salutary — auspicious  in  the  highest  degree. 
It  is  wonderful :  my  soul  thrills  when  I  call  to  mind  this 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION*  109 

precious  legacy  of  the  righteous.  Tales  of  melting  sweet- 
ness might  be  recited,  of  the  power  and  practical  operation 
of  the  orphan's  promise  ;  especially  of  the  promises  to  the 
dying  believer,  in  behalf  of  the  consecrated  child.  When 
the  special  provision  which  God  has  made  for  the  salvation 
of  the  child,  is  removed  by  his  own  providence,  he  seems 
himself  to  take  the  parent's  place,  and  he  is  generally  seen 
to  do  it  through  his  Church.  Analagous  to  this  last  remark, 
on  the  relation  here  considered,  is  another,  that  by  virtue  of  it, 

The  consecrated  child,  wherever  he  may  wander,  may 
always  find  those  that  will  care  for  his  soul.  He  may  say 
to  the  Christian,  wherever  he  meets  one,  Your  brother  and 
sister  gave  me  to  your  God  ;  in  their  name,  and  for  his 
sake,  I  ask  your  prayers.  Pie  is  a  connection  of  the  great 
family,  not  merely  by  the  ties  of  blood,  but  by  the  delinea- 
tion of  divine  mercy.  Wherever  such  a  youth  makes  himself 
known,  or  is  known  as  a  child  of  the  covenant,  the  Church 
is  bound  to  plead  those  covenant  promises  in  his  behalf.  It 
surrounds  the  liomeless  wanderer  with  a  thousand  guardian 
spirits  ;  belter  for  not  being  angels,  if  indeed  they  are  those 
to  whom  appertaineth  the  adoption  !  with  the  covenants  and 
the  glory  ! 

8.  The  practical  uses  of  infant  consecration  are  mani. 
fest,  in  view  of  the  preservation  and  prosperity  of  tJie  Church, 
throughout  successive  ages. 

Previous  to  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  its  fundamental 
principles  operated  surely,  but  more  silently.  The  express, 
definite  covenant,  with  its  sacred  seal,  was  unknown,  and 
therefore  their  native  force  was  not  fully  developed.     Yet, 

Through  all  the  veins  of  ages  household  streams 
Oozed  from  their  sacred  fountains. 

The  current,   however,  although  subterranean,  can  some- 
times be  traced   by  the   verdure   above  it.      After   the 
establishment  of  this  institution,  the  pathway  of  its  in- 
10 


llO  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

fluence,  through  the  successive  periods,  is  as  distinct  and 
luminous  as  the  galaxy  in  the  heavens.  The  waters 
of  mercy  have  rolled  down  from  age  to  age,  since 
the  fountain  covenant  was  opened,  in  this  one  conspic- 
uous channel.  Where  this  ordinance  has  been  fundamen- 
tally perverted,  the  Church  has  been  corrupted,  but  her 
spiritual  prosperity  has  always  attended  its  faithful  obser- 
vance. Even  since,  in  one  portion  ofthe  Church,  it  has  been 
laid  aside  as  an  unwarranted  ceremony,  there  have  not  only 
been  no  particular  tokens  of  approbation  discoverable  to- 
ward those  who  have  done  so,  but  the  healthiest  and  noblest 
tide  of  prosperity  has  flowed  on  in  the  ancient  channel,  and 
the  evil  tendencies  of  the  disuse  are  already  visible  in  the 
short  space  of  a  few  generations.  «  You  must,"  said  an 
aged  minister  to  his  brethren,  "  you  must  dedicate  your 
children  to  God,  as  well  as  your  meeting  house.  Our  chil- 
dren are  growing  up  uninstructed — they  are  hunting  on  the 
Sabbath — they  are  becoming  skeptical — you  must  awake, 
and  dedicate  them  to  God."  And  although  the  good  and  vene- 
rable father  in  Israel  was  careful  to  state  that  he  did  not  in- 
tend to  urge  the  dedication  of  children,  by  the  affusion  of  water, 
in  the  name  ofthe  Trinity,  his  exhortation  implied,  that  where 
the  form  did  not  exist,  there  was  but  little  of  the  power,  and 
where  infant  dedication  was  neglected,  there  was  an  alarm- 
ing tendency  to  the  neglect  of  all  visible  religion. 

The  truth  is,  there  is  a  sweet  and  holy  influence  con- 
nected  with  this  institution,  which  passes  into  the  closet, 
as  well  as  in  the  family  circle  ;  and  which  is  shed  over  the 
great  congregation,  as  well  as  into  the  soul,  that  shutteth  the 
door  and  prayeth  to  Him  who  seeth  in  secret.  It  tends  to 
impress  the  parents,  the  children,  the  community,  with  the 
solemnity  of  the  marriage  covenant.  It  unfolds  its  primary 
and  its  heavenly  design,  and  makes  those  sins  which  set  it 
at  defiance  appear  peculiarly  abominable.     The  value  of 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECEATION.  Ill 

these,  the  legitimate  impressions  of  this  ordinance,  cannot 
be  too  highly  appreciated.  Especially,  in  view  of  all  these 
practical  bearings,  does  the  importance  of  this  institution 
seem  manifest,  as  connected  with  the  system  of  missionary 
operations.  Tending,  as  it  does,  to  give  permanency  to 
Christian  establishments  by  its  bearing  on  successive  gene- 
rations, we  have  reason  to  hail  with  joy  the  formation  of 
every  new  Church  among  the  heathen,  on  the  principles  of 
the  Abrahamic  covenant.  An  encouraging  prospect  is 
before  us,  even  in  most  disheartening  present  labors,  because 
we  know  that  the  God  of  that  everlasting  covenant  has,  in 
all  ages,  thus  illustrated  the  reality  of  his  promise  by  the 
whole  course  of  his  providence  in  the  preservation  and  pros- 
perity of  Zion. 

The  practical  importance,  therefore,  of  infant  consecra- 
tion, is  fully  evinced  by  an  extended  examination  of  its 
influence.  The  writer  commenced  these  discussions  under 
the  firm  belief  that,  important  as  the  inductive  philosophy  is 
to  human  science,  it  cannot  be  permitted  to  control  the 
theories  of  revelation  ;  that  if  any  scheme  of  doctrine  is 
sanctioned  in  the  word  of  God,  it  may  be  adopted  without 
hesitation,  and  the  universe  of  facts  may  be  trusted  to  fur- 
nish a  continued  scene  of  varied  and  appropriate  illustration. 
After  the  survey  which  we  have  taken  of  the  actual  bear, 
ings  of  this  practice,  we  may,  however,  return  with  war- 
mer impressions  of  confidence  to  the  theory  with  which  it 
is  indissolubly  connected  in  the  word  of  God.  How  rational, 
how  consistent,  and  sublime,  is  that  theory  !  How  glori- 
ously it  illustrates  the  wisdom  of  the  Infinite  Mind,  and  the 
benevolence  of  his  unfailing  counsels. 

We  behold  him  taking  the  great  principle  of  the  moral 
universe — that  mind  is  ordained  to  exert  moral  influence  over 
mind  universally  and  forever — and  applying  it  to  the  pro- 
bation of  man  in  a  most  emphatic  manner,  by  means  of  the 


112  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

family  constitution  and  the  consequent  relationship  of  gene- 
rations— and  when  the  fall  of  man,  and  the  certain  depravity 
of  all  his  generations,  rendered  this  principle  powerful  for 
evil,  we  behold  him  incorporating  it,  by  means  of  the  family 
constitution  into  all  the  methods  of  restoring  mercy,  that 
it  might  be  equally  powerful  for  good.  Then,  as  the  cove- 
nant of  redemption  had  secured  in  Christ,  and  for  him,  the 
certain  renovation  and  salvation  of  great  multitudes  from 
all  generations,  the  consecrated  household  influence  was 
made  the  main  channel  of  his  grace,  for  the  accomplishment  of 
this  eternal  purpose.  Moreover,  as  the  covenant  of  grace 
secured  in  Christ  the  pardon,  perseverance,  and  progressive 
holiness  of  every  believer,  a  foundation  was  thus  laid,  in  its 
very  nature,  for  securing  thsit permanent,  holy  parental  in- 
fluence, during  his  lifetime,  over  his  descendants.  Therefore, 
in  order  that  a  holy  influence  of  mind  over  mind  might  be 
secured,  as  a  channel  of  grace,  during  all  time,  through  the 
household  constitution,  he  first  established  his  visible  Church 
on  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  placed  in  her  hands  this  powerful 
family  influence  ;  encouraged  her  by  revealing  his  gracious 
design,  and  wrought  the  elements  of  the  three  into  the 
Abrahamic  covenant ;  thereby  making  it  a  glorious  admi- 
nistration of  grace,  and  confirmed  it  by  a  solemn  seal  for  a 
thousand  generations.  As  that  covenant  thus  contained  the 
personal  promise  of  persevering  grace  to  the  believer,  and  a 
distinct  and  precious  promise  of  spiritual  blessings  to  the 
believing  parent,  in  behalf  of  his  descendants,  the  same  seal 
was  applied  both  to  the  parent  and  the  child  ;  the  claim  of 
God  to  both  thus  being  asserted,  and  the  consecration  of  both 
being  necessarily  implied,  on  the  part  of  the  parent,  in  his 
own  voluntary  act  of  receiving  the  appropriate  seal  for 
himself  and  his  household.  Thus,  through  all  the  ages  of 
the  old  dispensation,  God  was  erecting  his  spiritual  temple 
on  this  foundation ;  gathering  his  polished  stones  chiefly  from 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  113 

the  Jewish  nation  ;  and  by  the  very  peculiarities  of  the  an- 
cient economy,  preparing  for  the  Messiah's  advent.  When 
the  Saviour  appeared,  and  that  same  spiritual  temple  was 
to  derive  its  materials  from  all  nations,  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation was  established  ;  mheriting  the  ancient  covenant, 
with  confirmed,  augmented,  and  elevated  privileges,  extend- 
ing its  vital  principles  over  vaster  regions  of  mind,  and  em- 
bracing, as  the  result  of  their  practical  operation,  the  tri- 
umphs of  a  universal  gospel. 

Such  is  the  outline  of  the  scriptural  theory  of  infant 
consecration.  We  have  called  it  sublime  ;  perhaps  we 
should  characterize  it  better  by  the  appellations  grand  and 
beautiful.     It  presents  before  us — 

That  covenant  sealed — that  deep  domestic  fount, 
Whence  streams  of  life  perennial  flow  ;  where  flowers 
Of  holy  promise,  all  unwithermg  bloom. 
There,  too,  great  Spirit  of  redeeming  grace  ! 
(Amidst  these  principles  and  changeless  truths,) 
There  thou,  enthroned,  abidest ;  at  whose  feet 
The  ages  of  redemption  roll  and  shine. 


10* 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Household  consecration,  in  its  administration.    The  Wyandot  Chiet 
The  baptism. 

If,  to  the  reflecting  and  believing  mind,  this  ordinance 
be  grand  and  beautiful  in  theory,  it  must  in  administration 
be  animating  and  impressive.  This  indeed  is  evident  from 
the  fact,  that  even  the  untutored  mind,  if  awakened  by  pa- 
rental love,  and  inspired  by  gospel  truth,  is  able  to  feel  its 
attraction,  and  to  glow  with  its  vital  elements.  As  an 
illustration  of  this,  the  story  of  the  Wyandot  Chief  might 
be  adduced.  Converted  to  Christ  in  the  wilderness,  he 
travelled  a  great  distance  with  his  little  son,  in  order  to  visit 
a  band  of  Christian  ministers,  and  commit  him  to  their 
charge,  to  be  educated  for  the  Lord.  He  stood  amidst  the 
Presbytery,  and  consecrated  him  to  the  service  of  Jehovah. 
He  asked  them  to  undertake  the  education  of  his  son,  and 
when  they  assented,  he  required  them  to  give  him  a  writ- 
ten pledge  that  they  would  be  faithful  to  their  solemn  charge. 
When  this  deed  of  faith  was  accomplished  he  returned,  con- 
fiding, satisfied,  rejoicing.  Suppose  this  poor  Indian  had 
witnessed  the  Christian  father  and  mother  consecrating 
their  infant  children  to  Jehovah,  would  there  not  have  been' 
even  in  his  untutored  mind,  an  apprehension  of  its  propriety, 
and  an  inward  fellowship  with  the  parental  vows  and  hopes  ? 
How  much  more,  then,  shall  the  scene  of  infant  consecration 
be  appreciated,  when  the  mind  has  entered  deeply  into  its 
spiritual  design,  and  incorporated  with  its  strongest  emo- 
tions these  everlasting  principles. 

To  the  thoughtless  it  may  seem  a  vain  ceremonial  and 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  115 

an  unscriptural  rite  ;  but  to  the  studious  heart,  to  the  en- 
lightened parent,  to  the  instructed  children,  and  to  "  their 
angels  which  do  always  behold  the  face  of  our  Father 
which  is  in  heaven,"  it  will  reveal,  through  its  humble  as- 
pect the  grandeur  of  its  eternal  relations.  To  them  it  is 
in  truth — 

A  scene  of  glowing  beauty  !     'Tis  the  day 
When  Zion  gathers  to  the  house  of  prayer. 
Behold  a  young  and  godly  pair  advance, 
And  in  the  presence  of  that  solemn  flock 
Present  their  offering  to  the  King  of  saints — 
Their  first-born  son,  a  holy  child  of  faith. 
Then,  as  the  angel  of  the  Church  implores 
The  God  of  Abraham  for  his  changeless  love 
To  those  believing  parents,  and  their  seed. 
How  low  they  bow,  how  earnestly  commit 
That  child  of  love  and  beauty  to  his  grace. 
In  that  deep  prayer  uniting.     Who  can  tell 
How  strong  the  father's  purpose,  or  how  full 
The  fond  maternal  heart,  as  on  the  brow 
Of  that  fair  infant,  in  affusion  holy. 
The  man  of  God  the  sealing  water  sheds. 

See,  *midst  the  scene,  that  infant  aspect  glow 
With  beams  of  glory ;  for  the  smile  suppressed, 
The  rich  parental  tear  and  mutual  glance — 
Tokens  expressive  of  glad  faith  within — 
Fall  sweetly  on  it.     Lo  I  the  triune  God 
Hath  set  a  glorious  seal,  his  own  great  name. 
On  that  immortal  creature.     Guardian  forms 
Pledge  to  each  other,  to  the  Church,  to  God, 
That  they  will  guide  him  in  the  ways  of  truth, 
Watch  o'er  him  as  a  consecrated  thing, 
And  train  his  spirit  for  the  Lord  of  hosts. 
O,  how  it  girds  the  soul  up — that  deep  ^^oice 
In  the  pure  musings  of  the  inmost  heart — 
♦'  Fear  not,  O  parent,  I  loill  he  a  God 
To  thee  and  thine  /"     How  rich  that  promise  seemed, 
As  from  that  sacred  altar  they  returned, 
Bearing,  amidst  the  yearnmgs  of  their  faith, 
A  sealed  spirit !     Greeting  their  return, 
Some  aged  Simeon,  or  some  Anna,  rich 
In  heavenly  treasures  and  in  title-deeds 


116  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

To  everlasting  promises,  would  hail  them 
With  kiss  of  love,  with  long  and  holy  kiss. 
Involving  and  expressing  on  the  cheek 
Of  that  dear  infant  the  unsullied  faith 
Of  ancient  generations,  and  bestow 
The  patriarchal  blessing  on  his  head. 

How  felt  those  parents  as,  retiring  calm, 
Tender,  resolved,  with  lofty  purpose  filled. 
They  to  their  own  sweet  home  rejoicing  bore 
The  gift  of  God,  the  child  of  covenant  love. 
Their  holy  offspring  !     Never,  till  then,  O,  never 
Seemed,  in  their  view,  that  beauteous  babe  so  dear — 
Seemed  that  sweet  home  so  glorious,  so  refined  ! 

O  !  'twas  like  heaven,  as  with  a  mutual  care 
They  placed  the  cradle  by  the  altar's  side. 
And,  kneeling  where  their  loved  one  sleeping  smiled, 
Renewed  before  the  ancient  household  shrine 
The  heart-felt  consecration  ;  then  implored 
That  grace  which  He,  the  God  of  promise,  sealed 
To  them  and  theirs.     If  faith,  which  works  by  love, 
Be  strong  with  God,  strong  in  prevailing  prayer, 
Then  rose  that  altar's  incense  pure  to  heaven, 
And  angels  looked  upon  that  sacred  spot. 
Where  bloomed  the  rose  of  Eden — looked  and  said, 
How  sweet  the  work  to  guard  it !     Ah,  many,  many 
Such  glorious  watching  places  angels  find 
Round  Zion's  sunny  hills  and  streams  of  grace. 

Think  not  that  angel  visits  are  but  "  few 
And  far  between."     Oft  at  the  rosy  morn. 
Or  the  still  quiet  evening,  lo,  they  come, 
Spirits  invisible,  to  watch,  to  kneel 
In  the  loved  circle  of  a  covenant  home. 
Strengthening  the  saint,  the  father,  while  he  prays, 
And  leads  e'en  guardian  angels  to  the  throne. 

Celestial  work  !  high,  elevating  task  ! 
To  wear  the  unsullied  ephod,  which  is  cast. 
By  God's  own  mercy,  round  the  household  priest, 
As  trembling  he  advances.     As  he  leads 
To  the  pure  shrine  the  partner  of  his  cares, 
O,  how  their  souls  commingle  !     How  the  power 
Of  minds  united,  fired,  and  giving  forth. 
Into  one  prayer,  issues  of  endless  life. 
Wrestles  in  words  of  faith,  and  tones  of  love. 


HOUSEPIOLD    CONSECRATION.  117 

The  new  creation  pours  its  shining  truths 
In  one  strong  argument :  the  radiant  law, 
Claiming  for  God  life's  earliest  loves  and  hopes— 
The  immortal  soul  of  infancy  ;  the  cross 
That  op'd  the  gates  when  came  the  Holy  Dove, 
Bearing  the  peace-branch,  wet  with  purest  dews 
Of  paradise  restored  ;  the  fall  of  man, 
The  chain  of  ages  ;  generations  linked, 
For  good  or  evil,  bearing  from  earliest  guilt 
Sin  to  each  life,  and  second  death  to  death  ; 
Redemption's  glorious  scheme  ;  and  covenant  grace* 
Poured  like  a  stream  in  sunlight,  and  in  joy 
From  age  to  age — all,  all  these  lofty  truths 
Press  on  the  soul,  and  form  themselves  in  prayer. 
And  prayer,  so  formed,  shall  lodge  its  great  request 
Deep  in  the  bosom  of  its  covenant  God, 
Shall  grasp  the  chain  of  promises,  and  bind 
Around  the  loved  that  spiritual  string  of  pearls — 
Pearls  of  great  price — gems  of  especial  grace, 
Hung,  like  the  shield  of  knighthood,  on  the  just — > 
Or  like  the  star  that  gilds  the  royal  brow. 
Glows  on  the  patriarch's  forehead,  and  beseems 
The  crown  of  glory,  such  ae  Christ  bestows 
On  heavenly  princes.     Higher  than  all  degrees 
Of  earthly  heraldry — beyond  all  gems 
Of  empire — purer,  brighter,  costlier  far. 

In  the  course  of  thought  pursued  in  this  chapter,  I  have 
rather  followed  the  promptings  of  my  heart  than  the  pre- 
scriptions of  method.  There  is,  indeed,  so  much  of  pow- 
erful and  attractive  beauty  in  this  ordinance,  that  it  is  cal- 
culated to  impart  intellectual  enjoyment,  as  well  as  salutary 
religious  impression.  Indeed,  we  have  always  reason  to 
exclaim,  "  How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of 
hosts !"  in  reference  to  all  the  n^et^ods  of  his  grace,  and  al] 
the  ordinances  of  his'  worship, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Practical  reflections.    Application  of  these  principles  to  parents. 

The  grand  object  of  this  discussion  having  been  to  pro- 
mote the  practical  influence  of  this  ordinance,  I  trust  that 
the  different  classes  concerned  in  it,  will  permit  me  to  ad- 
dress them  with  such  reflections  as  the  principles  before  us 
authorize.  In  the  first  place,  I  solicit  the  attention  of  pa- 
rents. To  them  this  argument  proclaims  that  the  parental 
relation  itself  is  of  deep  and  solemn  import.  It  is  a  relation 
which  no  angel  may  sustain  ;  which  in  the  higher  grades 
of  intelligence  no  being  but  God  sustains.  Its  design  is  to 
educate  souls  for  an  endless  and  blissful  existence.  God 
has  therefore  confined,  and  adapted  it,  through  the  institution 
of  marriage,  to  such  a  mode  of  existence  as  should  eflTectu- 
ally  conduce  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  all  the  parties  con- 
cerned. This  ordinance  of  infant  consecration,  has  stamped 
this  relation  with  the  seal  of  infinite  mercy  and  gracious 
protection.  It  regards  the  parent  as  a  being  loaded  with 
interests  and  responsibilities  which  draw  hard  on  the  far- 
reaching  cords  of  eternity.  As  he  climbs  up  the  straight 
path,  and  the  bright  but  rugged  way,  it  beckons  him  on ;  it 
shines  about  his  steps ;  it  reaches  forth  the  hand  of  promise, 
and  clasps  the  hand  of  his  faith  to  lifl;  him  up  and  lead  him 
higher,  till  the  path  is  all  brightness,  and  the  day  is  perfect. 
Through  this  ordinance,  the  Church  has  taken  hold  of  the 
marriage  institution,  and  of  the  parental  relation,  thus  sanc- 
tifying them  for  her  own  appropriate  and  lofty  purpose. — > 
The  destination  of  the  Church  is  so  glorious,  and  the  pur- 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  119 

poses  of  her  existence  so  spiritually  grand,  that  the  parental 
relation  deriveth  from  this  connection  and  subserviency  a 
corresponding  sacredness  and  grandeur.  It  is  no  light 
thing  that  this  relation  should  be  publicly  designated  as  the 
main  channel  between  the  high  designs  of  the  spiritual 
Church  and  their  accomplishment  in  the  salvation  of  immor- 
tal souls. 

It  is  no  light  thing  for  the  parents  to  sustain  this  relation 
through  which  the  redeeming  grace  is  poured.  It  will  be 
no  trifling  matter  for  the  impenitent  parent,  that  he  refused 
to  acknowledge  the  benevolent  claims  of  the  Church  upon 
his  parental  influence.  It  will  sound  strange  to  the  august 
spectators  of  the  judgment,  that  he  strove  to  wrench  it  away 
from  the  tenure  of  the  Church,  and  secured  his  own  oflT* 
spring  from  all  participation  in  the  blessings  of  the  cove- 
nant. There  will  then  be  appalling  disclosures  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  human  heart  has  scorned  all  the  ap- 
proaches of  the  Church,  in  these  provisions  of  mercy*  It 
will  then  appear,  (what  it  really  is,)  most  amazing  infatua- 
tion, that  the  impenitent  parent  could  so  deliberately  bind 
around  the  souls  of  his  children  the  ligatures  of  moral  pollu- 
tion. It  is  abhorrent  to  all  the  instinctive  principles  of 
unfallen  moral  natures,  or  of  ransomed  spirits,  whether 
made  perfect  in  heaven,  or  going  on  towards  perfection  on 
earth,  that  parents  can  seat  themselves  beside  their  babes 
with  thoughtless  levity,  to  weave  into  the  open  heart  of 
childhood  the  principles  of  eternal  woe.  What !  are  not 
the  passions  of  your  child  sufliciently  ardent,  unless  you 
stimulate  them  with  the  ingredients  of  madness  !  Are  not 
the  tendencies  of  his  depraved  heart  sufficiently  malign, 
unless  you  mingle  into  them  the  elements  of  eternal  despair? 
Are  not  the  temptations  of  Satan  and  the  wiles  of  the  pit 
enough  to  effect  his  ruin,  unless  you  shall  engage  in  the 
conspiracy  ?     Will  not  his  moral  interests  be  sufficiently 


120  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

exposed  in  this  guilty  world,  unless  you  carefully  withdraw 
from  them  a  parent's  protection  ?  Let  the  impenitent  pa- 
rent look  to  this.  Through  this  ordinance,  your  insulted 
God  demands  your  child.  He  claims  from  you,  in  behalf 
of  that  child,  that  family,  a  holy  parental  influence.  He 
promises,  if  you  will  yield  to  his  claim,  to  make  that  holy 
influence  of  yours  a  channel  for  his  own,  and  to  transcribe 
from  the  moral  lineaments  of  your  own  mind  the  charac- 
teristics of  holiness  on  the  heart  of  your  child.  If  you 
refuse  this  claim,  and  pass  on  impenitent,  he  will  permit  the 
spirits  of  darkness  to  amuse  themselves  in  painting  on  the 
soul  of  your  child  the  moral  likeness  of  its  parent.  He  now 
calls  upon  you  in  every  public  administration  of  this  ordi- 
nance, to  decide  whether  you  will  have  a  holy  character  ; 
and  hence  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  to  transmit  its  features 
from  generation  to  generation  ;  or  whether  you  will  have  a 
character  of  pollution,  and  have  that  same  character 
wrought  by  the  agency  of  Satan  into  that  of  your  off*spring 
unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation.  These  inquiries  must 
be  answered  without  delay,  for  the  terrible  portraiture  is 
already  going  on.  Even  while  you  hestitate,  the  image  is 
assuming  its  inefl'aceable  lineaments.  Awake,  and  give 
yourself  and  give  your  child  over  into  the  bosom  of  the 
covenant,  and  into  the  dominion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  if  you 
would  escape  a  speedy  and  a  multifold  damnation.  Strive  ! 
yearn  !  struggle  !  for,  peradventure,  even  yet,  the  plague 
may  be  stayed.  You  must  meet  that  child  whom  you  with- 
hold from  Christ,  at  the  judgment  seat.  You  must  there 
account  for  the  perversion  of  that  family  influence.  There 
a  strict  inquiry  will  be  made  into  all  the  history  of  your 
household  relations.  There  you  must  meet  the  glance  of 
every  child  whom  your  example  has  corrupted,  your  neg- 
lect  has  ruined,  and  your  perverted  influence  has  moulded 
for  the  scenes  of  the  pit.     You  must  meet  him  amidst  those 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  121 

scenes.     How  terrible  that  meeting  in  such  a  place !     There 
will  be  the  ungodly  parents,  with  their   ungodly  children. 
There  will  be  reason,  unclouded,  tracing,  in  the  light  of 
eternity,  the  connection  between  the  household  influences 
and  f(\e  horrible  pit. 

There  will  be  memory  recallingj  with  the  vividness  of 
immortality,  each  event  in  the  whole  series  of  fireside  agen- 
cies, by  which  the  utter  ruin  of  your  offspring  was  per- 
fected. There  will  he  fancy  portraying,  with  terrible  bril- 
liancy of  conception,  the  realities  of  eternally  augmenting 
woe.  There  will  be  conscience,  binding  fast  about  the  soul 
the  scorching  chains  of  truth  ;  and  pouring  from  its  vials 
of  unmitigated  wrath  the  scalding  anguish  of  remorse. 
There  will  be  self-will ;  unsubdued  malicious  passion,  goad- 
ed into  frenzy ;  unmingled  depravity,  assuming  its  hue  of 
settled  and  festering  blackness ;  and  there,  and  therij  and 
thus,  will  the  group  of  lost  children  gather  round  the  neg- 
lectful, the  unbelieving,  and  the  prayerless  parent !  The 
companionship  which  was  most  intimate  here  will  be 
most  appalling  there.  The  endearments  which  were  most 
valued  here  will  be  changed  into  most  disgusting  bitter- 
ness there.  The  circle  where  the  smile  of  impenitent  joy 
was  lighted  most  brightly,  and  the  image  of  impenitent  pa- 
rents reflected  most  softly ;  where  impenitent  hopes  were 
most  warmly  cherished,  and  impenitent  songs  most  sweetly 
chanted  ;  will,  if  transported  there,  become  the  circle  whose 
aspect,  whose  reflected  image,  whose  despair  and  wailing, 
will  seem,  to  the  impenitent  parent,  most  hateful  and  ago- 
nizing, amid  all  the  groups  of  hell.  Hearken  to  the  warn- 
ing voice,  O  impenitent  parent !  To  thee,  guilty  as  thou 
art,  the  gospel  yet  offers  pardon.  It  proposes  to  adopt  thee 
into  the  family  of  God.  It  proposes,  even  now,  to  bring 
salvation  to  thine  house.  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  thou  and  thy  house  shall  be  saved.    There  is  room  for 

11 


122  HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION* 

thee,  and  room  for  thine  offspring  !  The  footsteps  of  eter- 
nal mercy  are  heard  about  thy  dweUing.  She  knocks 
loudly  at  thy  door — she  implores  thee  to  admit  her,  for  the 
sake  of  thine  own  soul,  for  the  sake  of  thine  idolized  chil- 
dren. She  offers  thee,  for  them,  the  blessings  of  the  ever, 
lasting  covenant.  She  throws  open  its  door,  and  cries  aloud, 
Come  thou  and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark. 

To  pious  parents  I  may  speak  with  confidence.  They 
will  feel,  that  if  God  has  indeed  established  this  ordinance 
on  the  principles  advocated  in  these  chapters,  their  relation 
to  their  children  is  most  tender  and  momentous.  Their  mar- 
riage covenant  itself  assumes  a  loftier  and  a  sweeter  aspect. 
It  is  a  mutual  league,  not  for  purposes  of  personal  advan- 
tage, but  for  high  and  overwhelming  objects.  It  is  a  league 
to  defend  a  group  of  immortal  souls  from  the  wiles  of  the 
devil ;  to  instruct  them,  from  extremest  ignorance,  into  the 
mightiest  truths  of  religion ;  to  constitute  a  channel  for  the 
eternal  influx  of  sanctifying  grace  ;  to  train  up  agents  des- 
tined  to  exert  a  heavenly  influence  on  their  associates  in 
time  ;  to  educate  and  qualify  them  for  the  deep,  sacred  com- 
pacionships  of  heaven ;  to  form,  out  of  the  ties  of  natural 
affection,  bonds  imperishable,  of  sweet,  celestial  love  ;  and 
finally,  to  polish  and  fashion  them  to  be  stones  in  that  spirit- 
ual temple  in  which  the  fulness  of  the  triune  God  resides 
forever ;  living  in  every  part,  and  through  every  part  shi- 
ning  out,  irradiating  the  intelligent  universe  with  his  light, 
and  eternity  itself  with  his  glory.  If  these  are  thy  hopes^ 
Christian  parent,  O  with  what  earnest  grasp  shouldst  thou 
lay  hold  of  covenant  promises.  With  what  untiring  labor 
shouldst  thou  bind  all  the  healthy  influences  of  the  house- 
hold covenant  about  the  soul  of  thy  child !  With  what  assi- 
duous carefulness  shouldst  thou  sow  the  ideas  of  the  cove- 
nant in  the  soil  of  his  earliest  emotions  !  How  shouldst  thou 
water  them  with  thy  tears,  and  beseech  the  Spirit  of  all 


HOirSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  123 

grace  to  warm  them  into  life  and  productiveness  by  his  own 
vital  energy !  How  shouldst  thou  be  concerned,  lest  thy 
partner  in  life  should  grow  remiss  in  duty  !  How  careful 
should  ye  be  not  to  embarrass  each  other  !  How  anxious 
mutually  to  strengthen  each  other  in  your  appropriate  and 
respective  duties !  How  ardently  should  you  plead  the  pro- 
mise, "  Where  two  or  three  are  met  together  in  my  name, 
there  am  I  in  the  midsl  of  them  to  bless  them." 

Perhaps  you  can  each  number,  in  the  ancestral  line  of 
your  fathers'  house,  a  company  of  holy,  faithful  believers 
in  the  covenant.  Perhaps  a  cloud  of  witnesses  encompass 
your  habitation.  Lay  hold,  then,  of  the  age-lasting  cove- 
nant. Avail  yourselves  of  their  precious  intercessions — 
intercessions  and  corresponding  labors  from  which  the  hea* 
venly  influences  have  descended  like  dew  on  your  own 
souls ;  make  all  these  the  heritage  of  your  children's  chil- 
dren, by  renewing  the  intercession  and  imitating  the  labor. 
Let  all  the  mward  yearnings  of  your  own  souls  concentrate 
their  power  to  weave,  from  these  household  truths,  "  the 
ark  of  bulrushes,"  for  the  infant  Moses ;  and  place  it  among 
the  flowers  of  promise,  which  bloom  along  the  Nile  of  the 
Church — the  river  of  the  everlasting  covenant.  Art  thou 
aware.  Christian  parent,  that  death  will  soon  sever  thee 
from  thy  partner  ?  That  thou  shalt  soon  be  called  away  to 
leave  thy  partner  with  the  uncompleted  charge  ?  O  !  how 
should  the  certainty  of  this  separation,  and  the  uncertainty 
when  it  shall  occur,  or  which  shall  first  be  called,  constrain 
thee  to  live  in  such  a  manner,  that  if  thou  art  first  called, 
thou  mayst  leave  behind  thee  the  legacy  of  a  parent's 
prayers,  and  the  memory  of  a  parent's  instruction — and  the 
lustre  of  a  partner's  holy  example.  So  let  thine  energy  be, 
that  the  surviving  partner  shall  be  admonished  by  the  me- 
mory of  thy  faithfulness  to  augmented  diligence,  and  encou- 
raged in  view  of  the  covenant  promise — that  treasure-house 


124  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

for  the  prayers  of  a  departed  ancestry — to  sing  for  joy  even 
amid  the  loneliness  of  widowhood.  Perhaps  even  now 
there  follows  these  lines  the  moistened  eye  of  some  widow- 
ed parent.  O  !  to  thee  how  solemnly,  how  sweetly  does 
this  ordinance  speak !  How  delightful  the  'thought,  that 
thou  hast  consecrated  thy  family  to  that  God  into  whose 
presence  thy  partner  has  ascended  !  How  solemn,  if  the 
responsibilities  which  formerly  rested  on  both  are  now  roll- 
ed upon  thee  alone !  How  comforting,  in  these  circum. 
stances,  to  lean  on  that  arm  which  oft  sustained  both,  and 
which  now  is  especially  pledged  to  sustain  thee,  because 
thou  art  lonely.  How  glorious  the  thought,  that  thou 
mayest  now  lay  hold  of  the  all-sufficient  covenant  with 
greater  confidence  than  ever !  How  consoling,  to  lead  the 
fatherless  or  the  motherless  into  his  banqueting  house,  and 
to  sit  under  his  banner  of  love  ! 

Perhaps  some  parent  reads  this,  whose  agonized  soul 
exclaims,  My  partner  is  hving,  but  hath  no  hope  in  Christ, 
no  portion  in  covenant  promises.  O  then,  let  the  interests 
of  thy  family  prompt  thee  to  redoubled  diligence  for  their 
salvation.  If  one-half  of  the  parental  influence  is  withheld 
or  perverted,  to  which  that  young  group  are  entitled,  be  it 
your  determination  so  to  live,  that  the  deficiency  shall  be, 
as  far  as  possible,  supplied,  or  the  adverse  influence  counter- 
acted. Thou  wilt  need  large  supplies  of  grace ;  but  his 
grace  is  sufficient  even  for  thee.  Be  resolved,  moreover, 
to  plead  the  full  power  of  the  covenant  for  thy  partner's 
conversion.  * '  For  what  knowest  thou,  O  wife  !  whether 
thou  shalt  save  thy  husband?  or  how  knowest  thou,  O  man ! 
whether  thou  shalt  save  thy  wife  ?"  Plead  that  the  uncon- 
verted may  be  taught  of  the  Lord,  in  order  that  thy  house- 
hold may  be  saved,  and  the  full  design  of  the  marriage  in- 
stitution be  secured.  Let  the  glory  of  divine  grace,  as 
manifested  through  the  covenant,  be  the  grand  argument 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION".  125 

in  thy  prayer ;  and,  like  Jacob  wrestling,  cry,  "  I  will  not 
let  thee  go,  except  thou  bless  me !" 

On  the  whole,  this  ordinance  is  calculated  powerfully 
to  impress  us  with  the  importance  of  holiness  of  life.  The 
pious  parent  should  remember,  that  he  is  not  merely  to 
seek  the  conversion  of  his  children,  but  to  seek  to  educate 
them  for  unblemished,  consistent,  and  eminent  Christians. 
If  he  wishes  this  for  his  family,  he  must  sustain  this  cha- 
racter himself  If  he  backslides,  if  he  falters,  or  wavers  ; 
if  he  is  grossly  deficient,  if  he  is  guilty  of  outbreaking  sin, 
he  has  reason  to  expect  that  the  effects  of  his  transgression 
will  be  terribly  visited  on  his  children,  even  if  so  as  by  fire, 
he  and  they  shall  be  saved.  The  standard  of  Christian  cha- 
racter must  be  high  in  the  aim  of  parents,  if  we  expect  to 
have  it  high  in  the  purpose  of  their  children. 

That  the  standard  of  personal  piety  should  be  vastly 
elevated  in  the  Church  of  God,  is  painfully  manifest.  Un- 
less it  is,  we  shall  never  witness  the  full  power  of  the  gos- 
pel in  this  guilty  world.  It  is  by  the  beauty  and  energy  of 
evangelical  holiness  that  religion  is  to  shine  and  advance. 
The  glory  of  God,  the  excellency  of  his  government,  the 
specimens  of  his  holiness,  are  to  be  exhibited  through  the 
moral  features  of  his  visible  Church.  The  day  of  universal 
triumph  for  Zion  is  thus  to  be  introduced,  perpetuated,  and 
glorified.  On  the  parents,  therefore,  of  this  generation  the 
responsibility  rests  of  moulding  the  character  of  the  millen- 
nial Church.  Never  before  seemed  the  provisions  of  this 
covenant  so  infinitely  important  as  at  the  present  crisis. 
O  that  its  many  voices  might  break  like  sevenfold  thun- 
der on  the  slumbering  parents  of  the  present  generation. 
Ye  men  of  Israel,  who  bear  the  vessels  of  the  Lord  ;  who 
wait  around  the  courts  of  this  altar,  where  still  the  She- 
chinah  tarries,  awake!  Ye  parents,  ye  holy  watchers 
about  the  fountains  of  holiness  for  unborn  ages,  be  carC" 
11* 


126  HOirSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

ful  how  ye  tread.  One  false  parental  step  may  crush  a 
thousand  interests !  One  holy,  consecrated  parent  may 
yet  descry,  from  the  hills  of  God,  some  sweet,  perpetual 
stream  of  far  distant  ages  issuing  from  the  fountains  which 
his  faith  replenished. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Practical  reflections.    Application  of  tliese  principles  to  fathers. 

The  train  of  thought  which  we  have  pursued,  urges  me 
to  address  a  few  considerations  to  those  who  are  not  only 
parents,  but  fathers.  It  proclaims  that  the  'paternal  rela^ 
Hon  is  pre-eminently  responsible.  May  I  not  hope  that  the 
fathers  will  listen  while  I  attempt  to  utter,  in  appropriate 
words,  its  deep  and  earnest  tones.  Its  call  to  you  is  pecu- 
liarly loud,  because  you  are  the  constituted  head  of  the 
family.  This  station  you  hold  by  right  of  nature,  of  neces- 
sity,  and  the  marriage  covenant.  Duties  grow  out  of  rela- 
tions. The  relation  of  your  sex  to  the  other,  is  that  of  the 
primary  to  the  secondary  ;  of  the  original  to  the  derived ; 
of  the  strong  to  the  weak — as  is  manifest  in  the  order  of 
creation  and  the  constitution  of  nature.  The  duties  arising 
from  these  relations  are  to  cherish,  to  love,  to  protect,  and 
to  provide.  The  obligation,  thus  arising,  being  as  durable 
as  the  relations  themselves,  constitutes  the  foundation  and 
the  safety  of  the  marriage  covenant.  The  marriage  cove- 
nant,  therefore,  has  bound  you,  as  an  individual,  to  perform 
these  duties  towards  the  wife  of  your  choice.  In  the  same 
manner  these  relations  have  been  extended  to  your  off- 
spring, and  these  duties  are  extended  as  far  and  as  perpetu- 
ally as  these  relations.  The  mother  shares  with  you  in 
the  obligations,  just  in  that  degree  that  she  shares  the*  ex- 
tended relations,  and  therefore  subordinately*  Your  share 
in  them  both  being  primal  and  paramount,  it  binds  down  to 


128  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

your  soul  a  corresponding  weight  of  responsibility.  You^ 
then,  as  a  husband  and  father,  are  held  supremely  respon- 
sible  both  to  man  and  to  God,  for  the  support,  defence,  and 
welfare  of  your  family.  You  first  sought  the  matrimonial 
connection  in  which  you  are  placed.  It  was  yours  first  ta 
select ;  first  to  mature  the  proposals  and  present  them. — 
You,  in  the  marriage  ceremony  itself,  first  avowed  your 
preference  and  your  purpose — first  gave  the  sacred  pledge. 
From  the  nature  of  things,  from  the  necessity  of  the  case, 
and  from  the  marriage  covenant,  you  have  been  set  forth 
as  the  constituted  head  of  the  household.  On  you,  there- 
fore, the  heaviest  bearings  of  the  covenant  of  consecration 
are  made  to  rest.  Your  responsibilities  are  the  corner 
stone  on  which  its  claims  are  based.  That  covenant  claims 
your  offspring  for  Christ,  and  demands  of  you,  as  the  au- 
thorized head,  an  explicit  consent.  That  covenant  claims 
your  paternal  influence  for  Christ,  and  demands  that  you, 
as  the  head  of  that  family,  shall  sincerely  pledge  it  to  him, 
and  exert  it  for  him.  That  covenant  points  you  to  a  code 
of  laws  ordained  for  those  young  immortals,  and  claims  the 
whole  weight  of  your  supreme  authority  to  sustain  and 
enforce  them.  That  covenant  is  a  system  of  protection 
graciously  provided  in  their  behalf,  from  the  tyranny  of  sin 
and  the  curse  of  the  law ;  from  the  temptations  of  the  world 
and  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  It  claims,  therefore,  not  only 
that  the  united  parents  shall,  as  such,  take  hold  of  it — but 
that  you,  in  your  relation  as  father,  in  your  station  as  the 
head  of  the  household,  shall  stand  forth,  and  pledge  that  all 
the  power  which  God  has  vested  in  your  hands  for  these 
purposes,  shall  be  exerted  to  give  your  household  its  full 
advantages  as  a  system  of  protection.  Your  obligation  to 
stand  forth  in  the  obedience  of  faith  in  this  great  matter,  as 
far  exceeds  your  obligation  to  protect  them  against  an 
attack  of  wild  beasts  or  savage  men,  as  the  interest  at  stake 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  129 

in  this  case  exceeds  that  in  the  other.  On  you ,  therefore, 
pre-eminently,  the  responsibility  rests  of  maintaining  family 
government  on  the  principles  of  the  gospel.  Of  Abraham 
God  said,  I  know  him,  that  he  will  command  his  household 
after  me.  He  expects  that  you  will  do  the  same  ;  that  you 
will  so  rule  your  own  house  that  your  children  shall  be 
trained  up  in  the  way  that  they  should  go.  He  has  placed 
before  you  solemn  warnings  against  a  refusal  in  the  case  of 
Adam,  of  Cain,  of  Eli,  and  of  David.  When  he  maketh 
inquisition  for  the  blood  of  souls,  shed  amidst  household 
scenes,  he  will  call  first  for  the  father.  Your  name  will  be 
heard  first,  as  Adam  heard  his,  as  Eli  and  David  heard 
theirs,  when  the  providence  of  God  in  one  ease  and  bis 
prophet  in  the  other,  and  his  judgment  in  both,  said,  "  Thou 
art  the  man  !"  The  relation  you  sustain,  which  thus  makes 
you  prominent  in  responsibility,  will  set  you  forth  prominent 
in  the  final  retribution.  That  station  being  so  conspicuous 
in  view  of  your  offspring,  invests  your  conduct  with  great 
solemnity.  The  whole  weight  and  power  connected  with  it 
will  be  thrown  on  the  side  of  covenant  claims,  or  will  ope- 
rate against  them.  You  cannot  retain  that  station,  and  re- 
main neutral  on  this  question  of  consecration.  You  cannot 
justify  yourself  before  the  God  of  these  relations,  if  you 
will  not  govern  your  life  according  to  them.  If,  against 
the  voice  of  God,  and  against  the  strong  claims  of  his  cove- 
nant, you  deprive  your  household  of  this  system  of  perfection, 
and  lead  them  by  your  neglect  or  example  into  dangerous 
exposures,  God  will  avenge  himself  of  the  insult,  and  your 
immortal  children  of  the  injury.  He  has  bestowed  upon 
each  child  a  natural  right  to  parental  care,  instruction,  and 
example.  He  has  demanded  of  the  parents  a  solemn 
pledge  that  this  right  shall  be  regarded,  and  he  calls  upon 
you,  as  the  father,  to  see  to  it  that  the  pledge  is  both  given 
and  performed.  The  authority  which  you  possess  is  conferred 


130  HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION". 

Upon  you  for  the  sake  of  the  child  ;  and  if  you  misemploy 
it,  by  using  it  for  his  worldly  good  only,  or  for  purposes  ad- 
verse to  his  spiritual  and  highest  good,  you  will  involve 
yourself  in  a  condemnation  which  will  be  pre-eminently 
fearful. 

Another  consideration,  which  will  illustrate  the  nature 
of  parental  responsibility,  is,  that  the  father  is  the  constituted 
'priest  of  the  household. 

Your  household,  Christian  father,  if  regulated  according 
to  the  principles  of  the  covenant,  resembles  a  little  Church. 
Its  members  are  consecrated  to  God ;  its  great  object  is  his 
glory  in  the  salvation  of  souls  ;  its  daily  meals  are  feasts 
of  intimate  communion,  commemorating  in  the  "  blessing" 
and  the  ''  thanks"  his  abounding  love.  Its  family  worship 
speaks  for  itself  In  all  these  respects  it  is  your  place  to 
officiate.  To  administer  its  discipline  ;  to  direct  its  religious 
services  ;  to  dispense  from  the  father's  seat — that  sacred 
desk  of  the  little  sanctuary — the  words  of  life ;  to  expound 
the  sacred  page  ;  to  lead  the  confiding  group  to  the  throne 
of  grace,  is  the  office  work  of  the  father.  These  duties  in. 
vest  him,  in  the  view  of  the  observing  flock,  with  a  sacred 
character.  The  God  of  the  household  covenant  has  assign, 
ed  to  you  this  important  station.  From  day  to  day, 
from  year  to  year,  your  sentiments  are  thus  to  be  uttared, 
and  your  deepest  and  strongest  emotions  to  be  exhibited  in 
their  presence.  The  events  of  the  day  ;  the  providences 
of  Ihe  week  ;  the  affecting  incidents  of  the  family,  are  to 
collect  their  lessons  in  your  prayers  and  instructions  at  the 
family  altar.  If  you  are  spiritually  minded,  the  influence 
breathed  through  all  the  concerns  of  the  week  will  be  spi- 
ritual also.  It  is,  therefore,  vastly  important  that  your  at- 
tainments in  evangelical  knowledge  and  holiness  should  he 
great,  eminent,  and  manifest.  If  you  will  feel  this  as  you 
ought,  your  heart  will  burn  to  obtain  the  best  qualifications, 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  131 

and  to  acquit  yourself  honorably  in  view  of  witnessing  an- 
gels, amidst  these  responsibilities.  You  will  rejoice  with 
pure  and  serene  joy,  if  you  are  enabled  to  behold  the  mo- 
ther, in  her  own  peculiar  sphere,  cleaving  to  t\\e  Lord  of  the 
covenant.  You  will  delight  to  enforce  her  judicious  regu- 
lations with  your  decisive  authority,  and  embody  her  affec- 
tions and  persuasions  in  your  paternal  counsels  and  prayers. 

How  guilty  are  those  fathers  who  publicly  profess  re- 
ligion, and  yet  who  will  not  act  as  the  priest  of  their  house- 
hold ;  whose  voice,  if  heard  in  prayer,  would  sound  strange 
in  the  ears  of  those  children  who  often  behold  them  at  the 
table  of  the  Lord.  If  there  is  one  such  father  now  reading 
these  remarks,  I  conjure  him  to  repent.  I  beg  of  him  to 
remember,  that  God  will  hold  him  responsible  for  depriving 
his  family  of  these  sacred  rights,  which  he  has  demanded 
for  them  in  the  very  provisions  of  the  covenant.  Your  ne- 
glect, O  guilty  professor,  embarrasses  your  partner  in  life  ; 
if  she  is  pious,  it  discourages  her  exertions  ;  if  she  is  impe- 
nitent, it  will  probably  ruin  her  soul. 

To  the  impenitent  father  these  views  come  with  implo- 
ring earnestness,  and  with  alarming  import.  Perhaps,  a 
pious  wife,  in  the  ear  of  her  child,  has  to  explain  why  the 
father  does  not  pray.  Perhaps  the  thoughtful  child  that 
has  visited  where  the  family  altar  was  honored,  sits  wonder- 
ing in  her  mind  why  her  father  does  not  pray.  Perhaps  in 
the  simplicity  of  childhood,  she  asked  you,  why  you  do  not 
pray.  Perhaps  you  are  called  to  stand  in  the  place  of  your 
aged  father,  now  superannuated  or  departed,  and  that  on  you 
rests  the  guilt  of  causing  the  voice  of  prayer  to  cease  in  the 
ancient  mansion,  whose  walls  had  for  ages  been  consecra- 
ted by  the  holy  words  of  faith,  and  the  simple  rites  of  the 
patriarchal  Church.  If  any  or  all  of  these  impressive  cir- 
cumstances put  in  their  plea  for  God,  how  stubborn  must 
that  heart  be,  which  shall  interpose  between  the  descending 


132  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

blessings  of  consecrated  ages  past,  and  the  immortal  inter- 
ests of  ages  to  come,  and  erect  the  barriers  of  unholy 
parental  influence,  to  roll  back  the  living  waters.  Perhaps, 
if  you  have  no  such  pious  ancestry,  you  have  lured  away 
from  the  G  )d  of  her  fathers  your  devoted  wife,  and  are 
standing  between  her  soul  and  the  spiritual  good  which, 
were  it  not  for  your  influence,  she  would  have  secured  to 
herself  and  her  children. 

Yet,  if  no  such  peculiar  fact  is  connected  with  your  his. 
tory,  there  are  two  great  facts  connected  with  your  pater- 
nal relation,  which  should  arouse  you  to  repentance.  One 
is,  that  God  will  call  you  to  account,  as  the  head  of  the  family, 
for  all  your  abuse  of  the  sacred  powers  with  which  he  in- 
vested you.  The  other  is,  that  he  will  demand  of  you  a 
reason  for  your  refusal  to  act  as  his  minister,  in  the  circle 
where  he  placed  you.  From  this  station  of  responsibility 
you  cannot  descend,  so  long  as  your  paternal  relations  ex- 
ist. The  final  account  will  of  course  be  called  for.  What 
wilt  thou  say  when  he  shall  punish  thee  ?  *'  Prepare  to 
meet  thy  God,"  impenitent  father.  Be  sure,  moreover,  that 
he  will  not  meet  thee  as  a  man. 

3.  Tlie  responsibility  of  the  father  is  manifest  from  the 
fact,  that  he  transmits  his  name,  and  the  great  historical 
associations  of  the  family,  through  all  the  periods  of  time. 
Is  it  no  object  to  you.  Christian  father,  that  the  name  which 
is  written  on  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  and  that  which  you 
transmit  to  innumerable  descendants,  should  pass  down, 
laden  with  promises  ;  venerable  for  its  Christian  renown, 
and  revered  for  its  holy  memories  ?  Is  it  nothing  to  you, 
that  either  you  now  inherit  such  a  name  from  ages  past,  or 
now  may  thus  present  in  the  chancery  of  the  covenant 
your  own  name,  for  ages  to  come  ?  It  is  a  great  thing  for  a 
father  to  have  his  name  written  in  the  book  of  life.  It  is 
written  on  the  bright  leaf  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  ensured 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  133 

for  free  pardon  ;  for  sanctification,  and  perseverance  ;  for 
final  glory.  It  is  written  on  the  leaf  of  the  household  cove- 
nant, adorned  with  the  personal  promise  of  grace,  on  one 
page,  and  with  the  everlasting  household  promise  on  the 
other.  An  edition  of  the  book  of  life,  pubhshed,  so  far  as  it 
may  be  to  mortals,  for  the  use  of  the  Church.  Will  it  be 
no  joy,  to  have  angels  continue  to  announce  it,  for  the  delight 
of  heaven,  that  another  and  another  of  distant  generations, 
bearing  that  name,  have  repented  ?  Will  it  not  be  above 
all  earthly  applause,  to  hear  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  hea- 
ven respond  "  that  same  name,  that  old,  familiar  name  ?" 
This  is  the  glory,  the  honor,  the  immortality,  of  the  faithful 
father.  In  these  methods,  surely,  the  name  of  the  just 
shall  be  held  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

But  the  name  of  the  wicked  shall  rot.  Is  it  noth- 
ing to  you,  O  impenitent  father,  that  whatever  honors 
may  be  associated  with  your  name,  in  the  records  of 
worldly  glory,  it  shall  be  indelibly  disgraced  in  heaven  ? 
Is  it  nothing,  that  as  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation, 
thy  influence  descends^  upon  those  that  wear  thy  name, 
**  the  tormentors"  shall  calmly  await  the  death  of  thy  des- 
cendants, as  affording  a  sure  addition  to  their  number,  or 
taunt  thee  with  astonishment,  if  any  of  thine  come  not  to  the 
place  of  their  dwelling  ?  Is  it  nothing,  when  the  overcoming 
mercy  of  God  shall  supplant  thy  influence,  and  elevate  that 
name,  as  worn  by  distant  ages,  amidst  the  salvations  of  the 
millennium,  to  have  it  distinctly  recorded,  that  had  not  thy 
influence  been  especially  counteracted  by  his  sovereign 
grace,  thou  wouldst  have  sent  it  down  disgraced  amidst  all 
those  glories  ?  Is  it  nothing,  to  expose  those  that  wear  it, 
to  those  terrible  judgments  which  will  prepare  the  way  for 
the  millennium,  by  the  extermination  of  the  ungodly  ?  Is  it 
nothing,  amidst  the  revelations  of  the  judgment,  to  have  thy 
name,  as  transmitted  along  with  thine  influence,  stained 
12 


184  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECEATION. 

with  all  manner  of  crime,  and  characterized  by  all  de- 
grees of  rebellion,  through  various  ages  ?  Ah  !  how  will 
it  appear,  when  the  searchings  of  the  judgment  shall  reveal 
the  hearts  that  have  gloried  beneath  it  ?  Reveal  those 
hearts,  in  all  the  history  of  their  outbursting  influence,  and 
the  secresy  of  their  vilest  passions  !  Pause,  O  impenitent 
father,  and  give  thy  name — thy  patriarchal  name — thine 
hereditary  appellation— to  the  God  of  grace.  Inscribe  it, 
associated  with  the  names  of  thy  children,  and  of  thy  wife, 
on  the  Abrahamic  covenant !  The  wings  of  that  covenant 
are  lifted,  to  cover  thee  !  O  come  thyself,  and  gather  thy 
children  under  them  ! 

The  responsibility  of  the  father  is  pre-eminently  great. 
He  needs,  therefore,  to  understand  the  covenant,  in  order 
that  he  may  fully  appreciate  his  responsibility,  and  at  the 
same  time  be  sustained  under  its  pressure.  He  is  the  con^ 
stituted  head,  priest,  and  representative  of  his  household. 
He  is  invested  with  these  offices  by  the  unchanging  ordinan- 
ces of  God.  He  may  not  retire  from  this  station  of  respon- 
sibilities. Overwhelming  motives  call  him  to  faithfulness. 
He  needs  to  take  advantage  of  all  the  covenant  promises. 
His  daughter,  blending  the  mother's  grace  with  the  father's 
dignity,  claims  the  guardianship  of  the  covenant.  The  purity, 
the  elevation  of  its  principles,  should  be  so  wrought  into  the 
father's  character,  that  his  image  in  all  times  of  temptation 
should  rise  upon  her  heart,  like  a  guardian  spirit,  to  purify, 
energize,  and  protect.  His  son,  exposed  in  this  bustling  and 
licentious  age,  to  a  thousand  snares,  as  he  breaks  forth  from 
the  scenes  of  the  nursery  and  of  quiet  home,  to  mingle  with 
the  world,  needs  a  father's  thorough  instructions,  nobleness 
of  example,  unsullied  reputation,  and  inspiring  presence,  to 
be  at  once  a  model  of  imitation  and  a  wall  of  defence.  The 
great  enterprises  of  benevolence  ;  the  revolutionary  spirit 
of  the  age ;  the  great  conflict  of  principles  ;  the  rising  im. 


HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION.  135 

portance  of  questions,  of  a  moral  nature,  call  loudly  upon 
the  fathers  of  this  age  to  build  the  prospects  of  their  sons 
on  the  enduring  foundations  of  the  gracious  covenant.  O, 
how  unwise,  how  recreant  to  all  sacred  trust,  is  that  father, 
who,  not  content  with  refusing  to  discharge  his  duty,  does 
all  he  can  to  countervail  the  efforts  of  a  believing  wife ; 
who,  by  his  habitual  ungodliness,  his  vile  sentiments,  and 
perhaps  his  outrageous  abuse  of  conjugal  relations,  per- 
verts  all  the  high  powers  of  usefulness  which  God  has  con. 
ferred  upon  him,  into  means  of  ruin  for  his  offspring,  and 
into  stores  of  vengeance  for  himself.  If  such  a  father  shall 
read  this  passage,  I  beg  him  to  remember,  that  the  God  of 
the  widow  and  the  orphan  will  avenge  upon  his  soul  that 
conduct  which,  to  his  family,  is  worse  than  widowhood  and 
orphanage.  Perhaps  God,  to  save  the  family,  may  cut  him 
suddenly  down,  in  order  that  the  mother  may  freely  per. 
form  the  duties  which  he  neglects,  or  at  least  exert  her  owa 
influence,  uncounteracted. 

Perhaps  the  mother  may  be  removed  to  a  place  where 
the  wicked  trouble  not,  while  the  father  is  left  to  mould  and 
fashion  morally  his  offspring  according  to  his  own  charac- 
ter, and  provide  himself  with  accusers  for  the  judgment  seat, 
and  with  tormentors  for  the  scenes  of  the  pit.  Terrible 
will  be  the  fall  of  that  fither  who  tramples  on  the  interests 
which  the  covenant  is  designed  to  protect,  and  defies  the  au- 
thority of  that  God  who  has  pledged  for  its  vindication,  not 
only  the  issues  of  his  grace,  but  the  severity  of  his  retri, 
bution. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Practical    reflections  continued.    Application  of  these  principles  to 
mothers. 

In  applying  the  fundamental  principles  of  this  institution 
to  those  who  are  not  only  parents  but  mothers,  I  shall  sup- 
pose  a  mother  situated  as  she  is  assumed  to  he,  in  its  original 
and  natural  design. 

The  father  is  supposed  to  fulfil  the  purposes  of  his  pecu- 
liar relation,  and  to  stand  in  his  place  the  prophet,  the  priest, 
and  the  ruler  of  his  household.  He  is  supposed  to  concen- 
trate his  authority,  strength,  and  official  influence  for  the 
purposes  of  grace ;  to  command  his  household  after  the 
Lord,  and  trust  the  life-giving  promise ;  to  lead  the  way  in 
the  act  of  dedication ;  and  finally,  to  exercise  such  faith, 
that  though  his  wife  disbelieved,  neglected,  and  opposed, 
his  purpose  would  be  fixed  to  establish  the  order  of  his 
house  on  the  principles  of  consecration.  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  Job,  and  Joseph,  were  such  fathers.  Such  is 
presumed  to  be  the  character  of  every  Christian  bishop, 
and  through  him  as  an  exemplar  of  every  Christian  father. 
Such,  therefore,  is  supposed  to  be  the  situation  of  the  mo- 
ther, wherever  the  covenant  is  completely  recognized  in  a 
family.  Suppose  the  mother  to  be  decidedly  pious,  like 
the  mother  of  John,  of  Jesus,  or  of  Timothy.  Then  we 
have  the  covenant  model  for  the  domestic  constitution. 

Is  it  yours,  my  Christian  sister,  thus  to  be  situated  ? 
Then  you  have  reason  to  weep  for  joy,  when  you  study 
the  gracious  covenant.  You  have  presented  a  son  or  a 
daughter  to  that  father.    In  his  guardianship  the  heart  con- 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  137 

fides.  You  know  that  he  will  bear  that  child  to  the  throne 
of  grace  ;  that  all  the  tenderness  of  your  heart  may  be  en- 
listed in  its  behalf,  unchecked,  unchilled,  unimpeded.  Nay, 
that  you  cannot  better  meet  his  strongest  wishes,  nor  even 
otherwise  satisfy  his  most  cherished  expectations,  than  by 
giving  unrestrained  activity  to  every  holiest  impulse,  and 
baptizing  every  child  with  the  gushing  emotions  of  a  believ, 
ing  mother.  To  you,  how  strong,  how  thrilling,  how  inex- 
pressibly precious  is  this  ordinance,  in  its  holy  claims  and 
blessed  assurances.  The  seal  of  God  that  is  placed  upon  your 
child,  is  a  memorial  of  mutual  love,  to  strengthen  with 
mighty  motives  your  marriage  vows  and  Church  relations. 
It  binds  you  both  to  the  child,  to  each  other,  and  to  the 
Church  of  God.  With  this  threefold  cord  it  binds  the  child 
to  the  provisions  of  grace.  How  enrapturing  must  be  your 
communion  with  your  husband  over  the  child  of  your  vows  I 
Often  does  it  resemble  that  of  Zechariah  and  Elizabeth  at 
the  consecration  of  John.  They  did  not  doubt  that  John 
would  be  born  again.  Why  may  not  your  joy  also  be  full  ? 
They  had  a  promise,  so  have  you.  They  walked  in  all 
the  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless,  so  should  you.  They 
felt  in  their  souls  that  the  promise  could  never  fail ;  and 
you  may,  if  you  believe  and  live  like  them,  enjoy  the  same 
assurance  respecting  the  great  promise,  I  will  be  thy  God, 
and  Ihe  God  of  thy  seed.  Only  believe,  and  thou  shall  see 
the  salvation  of  God.  ' 

If,  however,  you  are  impenitent,  faithless,  and  neglect- 
ful ;  if  you  grieve  your  pious  husband  by  your  coldness, 
worldliness,  vanity,  and  evil  temper  ;  if  you  manifest  aver- 
sion to  all  spiritual  religion  ;  if  you  thwart  rather  than  en- 
courage his  household  plans,  your  criminality  is  appalling. 
You  are  guilty  of  perverting  all  those  strong  and  tender  in- 
fluences which  God  has  blended  with  the  maternal  relation, 
of  wrenching  away  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  child  from 
12* 


138  HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION. 

the  endeavors  of  a  believing  father,  by  defeating  his  efforts 
and  counteracting  his  exanmple.     There  is  one  who  will 
avenge  that  neglected  group  when  he  maketh  inquisition 
for  blood.     He  will  mark  your  case  as  one  of  extreme 
guilt ;  for  he  has  said,  Can  a  mother  forget  ?     It  would  be 
enough,  if,  in  any  circumstances,  you  had  spiritually  de- 
serted your  child  ;  but  what  will  the  unsleeping  guardian 
of  the  covenant  say  to  that  mother,  who,  when  her  husband 
hath  borne  the  child  into  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High, 
will  not  let  it  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty  ?    O 
there  is  a  spiritual  savageness  in  the  laugh  of  a  worldly, 
heartless,  and  skeptical  mother,  which  is  enough  to  make 
one  shudder !     All  the  eloquent  tones  of  a  mother's  love  ; 
all  the  tenderness  of  a  mother's  caress  ;  all  the  outgoings 
of  the  maternal  heart  are  fraught  with  poison  for  the  soul 
of  her  child,  if  she  has  no  fear  of  God,  no  regard  for  reli- 
gion.    If  you  have  made  the  profession,  it  does  not  relieve 
the  difficulty,  while  you  retain  a  character  adverse  to  your 
profession.  Who  is  not  shocked  when  woman  commits  her- 
self to  hardihood  in  sin,  or  in  skepticism.     An  infidel  mo- 
ther is  regarded,  even  by  the  world  at  large,  as  a  shocking 
monster.     How  then  must  she,  or  any  impenitent  mother, 
be  regarded  in  the  sight  of  God  !     There  are  many  such 
mothers  in  our  land — many  pious  fathers  are  grieved  at 
heart,  at  the  mournful  influence  which  the  mother  is  shed- 
ding over  their  consecrated  offspring.    Her  presence,  about 
the  deep  and  precious  fountains  of  moral  life,  seems  almost 
like  sacrilege.     Her  touch  dries  up  the  early  and  genial 
impulses  of  the  mind  ;  her  caress  stings  the  soul ;  her  con- 
stant gaze  petrifies  the  heart.     There,  in  the  most  sacred 
places  of  moral  being,  she  daily  breathes,  and  moves,  and 
moulds  the  plastic  character  of  childhood  when  the  father 
is  away.     The  grand  deceiver  need  not  concern  himself 
as  to  his  prospects  in  your  family,  so  long  as  such  a  mother 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  139 

watches  for  him,  were  it  not  for  the  covenant  with  the  fa- 
ther. If  your  children  are  still  living  ;  if  their  father  still 
prays  for  them  and  for  you,  O  come  to  God !  by  all  the 
glory  of  covenant  relations ;  by  all  the  everlasting  traces 
which  you  will  leave  on  the  character  of  your  children  ; 
by  all  the  jealous  scrutiny  of  your  whole  life  and  influence, 
which  will  take  place  at  the  judgment,  come  to  the  mercy- 
seat  !  come  to  the  covenant  throne !  Kneel  down  by  the 
side  of  your  husband,  and  break  your  heart  in  penitence 
amidst  your  consecrated  children  ! 

2.  /  shall  suppose  a  mother  situated  in  other  circuni' 
stances — that  her  husband  is  impenitent,  profane,  and  un- 
willing  to  consecrate  either  himself  or  family  to  God. 

Suppose  that  she,  alone  yet  faithful,  going  before  the 
altar,  consecrates  her  children  to  the  God  of  her  salvation ; 
that  she  toils  day  and  night  to  fulfil  her  vows ;  with  sleep- 
less vigilance  watches  to  guard  them  from  evil,  and  to  lead 
them  in  the  way  of  life.  As  a  hen  gathereth  her  brood 
under  her  wings,  so  she,  under  the  outspread  wings  of  the 
covenant,  gathereth  them.  Afflicted  sister !  Persevere. 
Turn  neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  the  left.  Shrink  not 
from  the  high,  and  sublime,  and  glorious  station  to  which 
Providence  has  lifted  thee  !  Resolve,  that  whatever  may 
be  the  father's  influence,  God  shall  have  that  of  the 
mother ;  resolve  to  seek  continually  a  double  portion 
of  covenant  grace.  Toil  on,  and  murmur  not — toil  hard, 
and  faint  not ;  and  when  your  soul  is  wearied,  wait  on  the 
Lord.  Pillow  your  head  on  the  covenant  promise,  and  com- 
fort your  heart  with  the  visions  of  Jacob.  Then  rising  re- 
freshed, shake  thyself  from  the  dust,  O  daughter  of  Zion  ! 
Set  up  the  stone  of  help,  and  still  toil  on.  There  is  one 
that  hath  said,  ^^  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee.^* 
Is  your  husband  willing  that  you  should  train  the  children 
for  God?  Be  thankful  for  the  divine  mercy,  and  be  diligent 


140  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

to  improve  sacredly  every  capacity  you  possess  for  this 
purpose.  Tliere  is  nothing  which  will  sooner  affect  the 
heart  of  a  father,  who  has  been  rightly  instructed,  than  to 
behold  his  pious  wife  consecrating  the  household  alone,  and 
toiling  alone  for  their  spiritual  good.  He  knows  who  is 
responsible  for  suffering  her  to  go  forth  alone.  Many  an 
impenitent  child  of  the  covenant  has  trembled  when  thus 
he  saw  his  beloved  wife  venturing  forth  to  stand  in  his  de- 
serted place.  It  is,  therefore,  wicked  for  any  mother  to 
defer  a  public  profession,  in  order  that  her  husband  may 
come  with  her.  I  could  mention  several  instances  illustra- 
tive of  the  grievous  consequences  of  neglecting  duty,  and 
of  the  happy  results  arising  from  its  faithful  performance. 
Is  your  husband  opposed  to  your  household  piety,  and  dis- 
dainful towards  religion  ?  Then  guard  your  temper  with  a 
double  vigilance.  Fill  your  heart  with  the  veriest  strength 
of  benevolence.  Seek  his  temporal  comfort  and  happiness 
with  assiduous  concern  ;  but  never  yield  your  religious 
principle  ;  never  forget  your  vows  of  consecration ;  never 
shrink  from  doing  all  your  duty  to  your  children.  Does 
he  use  a  profane  expression  in  the  presence  of  his  wife  or 
children?  Let  your  tears  of  grief,  let  the  manifest  majesty  of 
insulted  piety  seated  in  your  eye  and  whole  demeanor,  tes- 
tify against  him.  Does  he  inculcate  erroneous  sentiments  in 
his  household  1  Let  your  diligent,  sure,  and  heaveii-directed 
influence  counteract  them.  Let  all  a  mother's  utmost  en- 
ergy be  so  put  forth,  that  no  occurrence  shall  ever  be  re- 
called in  the  remorseful  remembrances  of  the  dark  world, 
to  proclaim  that  your  unfaithfulness  caused  the  ruin  of  one 
child.  On  the  brow  of  the  father  alone  let  that  curse  be 
written — if  it  must  be  written  any  where.  But,  O,  thou 
woman  of  God !  like  Hannah,  let  your  vows  be  deep  ;  sa- 
crifice any  earthly  interest,  chasten  into  heavenly  purity 
every  emotion,  bear  any  personal  affliction  whatever,  en- 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  141 

dure  all  wrong  that  may  be  endured  without  sin  ;  if  so  thou 
canst  reach  the  soul  of  the  father ;  if  thou  mayest  by  any 
means  deliver  him  from  going  down  to  the  pit ;  if  even 
when  he  hath  perished  thou  mayest  be  able  to  look  up  and 
say,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  he  did  not  perish  through  my 
neglect, 

3.  Suppose  the  mother  in  different  circumstances  still. 
Suppose  that  the  father  is  dead — that  his  pious  example  has 
ceased  to  guide,  or  his  impenitent  career  no  more  leads 
astray.  If  God  has  left  you  lonely,  look  at  once  to  him  for 
strength,  and  step  forward  into  the  vacant  place.  His  man- 
tie  is  left  with  you.  The  divine  providence  has  made  you 
the  head  of  the  family,  and  you  must  preserve  the  ordi- 
nances of  God  in  your  household.  It  is  your  business  now 
to  minister  at  the  family  altar,  to  instruct  the  fatherless,  and 
to  rule  with  gentle  but  decisive  authority.  No  widowed 
mother,  who  has  a  proper  sense  of  her  covenant  obliga- 
tions,  will  ever  suffer  the  fires  of  the  family  altar  to  die 
away  because  the  father  is  absent,  or  deceased.  Let  not 
the  fear  of  your  children  deter  you  from  doing  your  duty. 
Act  as  the  covenant  requires  you  to  act,  and  the  God  of  its 
promises  will  not  suffer  his  faithfulness  to  fail. 

4.  The  views  presented  in  this  book,  call  upon  mothers 
throughout  our  land  and  the  world,  to  arise  and  address 
themselves  to  the  great  work  of  establishing  the  gospel  for 
all  generations.  A  spirit  is  abroad,  calling  upon  the  priest- 
ess of  the  nursery  to  magnify  her  office.  The  world  may 
treat  it  with  contempt,  but  there  is  a  power  in  that  voice 
which  is  not  to  be  mocked.  It  utters  the  great  truths  of 
household  consecration ;  it  works  in  close  affinity  with  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Numerous  maternal  hearts  are  swelling 
under  the  mighty  impulse.  The  maternal  associations  re- 
cently formed  in  our  country,  and  now  spreading  in  Europe, 
are  the  lyceums  of  the  nursery.     They  are  introducing 


142  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

valuable  publications,  both  volumes  and  periodicals,  to  the 
attention  of  mothers.  They  are  conveying  particular  in- 
structions to  individual  mothers,  and  preparing  them  for 
their  silent  but  effectual  operations.  They  are  magnifying 
the  mother's  work  in  her  own  view  ;  creating  a  deeper  and 
more  powerful  interest  in  the  concerns  of  home ;  taking  the 
place  of  the  tea  party  and  scandal-retailing  visits,  of  which 
former  years  complained  so  much ;  and  exciting  an  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  interest  in  the  highest  welfare  of  the 
race.  These  institutions  will  continue  to  increase  in  value, 
and  every  mother  should  seek  to  obtain  from  them  all  prac- 
tical aid  in  her  appropriate  and  important  duties.  The  in- 
stitutions of  our  own  land,  dependent  as  they  are  and  ever 
should  be  under  God,  upon  the  popular  will,  call  loudly 
upon  maternal  mind  to  respect  in  its  nursery  cares  the  in- 
terests of  the  Church  and  the  fates  of  nations.  He  that  can 
estimate  the  tendencies  of  maternal  influence  may  calcu- 
late shrewdly  respecting  the  moral  characteristics  of  the 
next  generation.  How  inconceivably  important,  then,  that 
the  principles  of  household  consecration  should  be  graven 
deeply  on  the  heart  of  American  mothers,  and  of  Christian 
mothers  every  where,  and  on  maternal  affection  universally. 
This  is  an  object  most  commanding  in  its  importance,  and 
if  those  principles  are  true,  he  that  shall  contribute  essen- 
tially to  elevate  maternal  mind  to  grasp  them  in  their  ma- 
jesty, and  apply  them  in  their  power,  will  do  no  mean  ser« 
vice  for  the  human  race.  Future  generations  will  revere 
his  name,  and  his  posterity  shall  be  blessed. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Practical  reflections.    Application  of  these  principles  to  the  consecrated 
children  of  the  Church. 

The  natural  order  of  thought  now  introduces  me  to  the 
consecrated  youth  of  the  Church.  I  trust  that  many  of  you 
will  seriously  weigh  the  suggestions  which  I  am  about  to 
makCi  It  has  often  been  my  privilege  to  kneel  by  the  side 
of  parents  while  they  have  gathered  their  consecrated 
households  at  the  family  altar.  The  forms  of  many  youth 
are  present  to  my  mind,  for  whom  I  have  heard  the  be- 
lieving father  pray,  in  the  language  of  promise-trusting 
faith.  The  forms  of  many  children  are  present,  on  whom, 
in  the  hour  of  baptism,  the  tears  of  believing  parents  have 
fallen,  almost  mingling  with  the  sacred  water.  Many  such, 
I  have  reason  to  believe,  will  read  these  pages.  For  them 
and  lor  every  baptized  child  who  shall  read  and  consider 
these  trutlis,  I  feel  a  deep  and  thrilling  interest.  Let  me 
hope  that  every  such  reader  will  consider  himself  personally 
addressed.  The  first  thought  which  I  desire  you  to  re- 
alize, is, 

1.  That  this  ordinance  of  household  consecration  has 
created  very  interesting  connections  between  you  and  the 
Church  of  Christ. 

Have  you  understood  the  nature  and  value  of  this  con- 
nection ?  Consider  with  whom  it  is  formed  i  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ !  And  what  is  the  Church  ?  The  invisible 
Church  is  that  vast  company  of  the  regenerated,  gathered 
from  all  ages  and  nations,  which  will  finally  meet  in  one 


144  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

general  assembly  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  The  visible 
Church  consists  of  all  those  who  profess  to  be  among  this 
number,  and  who  unite  in  the  regular  observance  of  Chris- 
tian worship.  The  moral  grandeur  of  the  Church,  visible 
and  invisible,  is  overwhelming.  She  is  to  constitute  that 
channel  throusrh  which  the  river  of  divine  manifestation  will 
flow  forever.  Through  her  appointed  ordinances,  she  ex- 
hibits the  glory  of  God  on  earth,  and  preserves  the  honor 
of  his  name  from  age  to  age.  The  presence  of  God  is 
within  her,  as  in  the  unconsumed  yet  burning  bush  of  Ho- 
reb.  There,  as  in  a  world  created  for  the  purpose,  God 
exhibits  the  deep  things  of  his  own  nature  to  the  universe, 
not  in  its  childhood  only,  but  in  its  maturity.  It  is,  indeed, 
a  new  creation,  in  which  he  has  wrought  the  indestructible 
evidences  of  his  triune  existence,  and  his  utmost  moral 
glory,  as  he  has  into  the  material  creation  wrought  the 
bright  but  perishable  evidences  of  his  being,  and  of  his 
original  perfections.  This  building  of  God,  this  new  crea- 
tion, will  live  and  breathe  forth  that  surpassing  glory,  and 
glow  with  the  unconsuming  presence  which  fills  it  when  all 
the  cords  of  the  material  creation  shall  be  unstrung,  and  all 
its  light  and  majesty  shall  have  rolled  away.  There  the 
peculiar  and  mysterious  mode  of  the  divine  existence  is 
incorporated  as  a  perpetual  and  vital  truth,  revealed  not  in 
word  only,  but  in  the  commemorative  monuments  of  divine 
workmanship  and  intellectual  transformation.  There  the 
Father  shines  in  the  spiritual  law ;  there  the  Son  in  the  pre- 
cious atonement ;  there  the  Spirit  in  his  high  office  work, 
moulding  into  the  image  of  God,  for  eternity,  the  hearts  of 
fallen  men,  regenerating,  sanctifying,  and  eventually  per- 
fecting his  spiritual  workmanship,  the  active,  living  temple  of 
ransomed  mind.  There,  in  the  union,  harmony,  and  per- 
petual combination  of  all  the  rays  of  truth  which  issue  from 
the  revealed  character  of  Jehovah,  the  Church,  the  one 


fiOtSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  145 

body  of  Jesus  Christ,  proclaims  the  unity,  as  well  as  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead.  Subordinate  to  these  prominent 
features  of  the  new  creation,  the  natural  perfections  of  God 
are  all  furnished  with  intenser  radiance  than  they  can  evef 
gather  from  the  natural  operations  of  providential  agencyw 
Not  in  all  the  living  tokens  of  a  present  God,  with  which 
nature  is  clothed,  does  his  energizing  omnipresence  so 
shine,  as  in  the  fruits,  and  flowers,  and  garniture  of  quick- 
ened mind,  bursting  all  around  us  into  life,  and  assuming  the 
freshness  of  immortal  beauty  ;  not  in  all  the  majestic  ope^ 
rations  of  the  laws  of  nature,  or  of  providence,  linking  in 
one  perpetual  chain  the  events  of  ages,  or  of  moral  govern*, 
ment,  uttering  its  thunders  in  the  ear  of  individual  guilt,  or 
paralyzing  with  its  shock  rebellious  nations  :  not  in  either 
or  all  of  these  does  the  omnipotence  of  God  so  gleam  forth, 
as  when  it  touches  the  immortal  soul  in  the  very  place  of 
free  and  decisive  moral  action,  and  preserving  moral  agency 
unimpaired,  certainly  and  efficiently  transforms  it  from  the 
bitterness  of  supreme  hate  into  the  rapturous  friendship  of 
eternal  love.  Corresponding  with  these  views,  the  moral 
perfections  of  Jehovah  have  also  located  in  the  very  con- 
stitution of  the  Church  their  mightiest  and  sublimest  exhi- 
bitions. Never,  any  where  else,  but  in  the  foundation  and 
in  the  several  compartments  of  this  building,  could  justice, 
in  her  most  unsullied  purity  and  most  terrible  frown,  meet 
with  mercy  in  her  extremest  tenderness,  and  most  effectual, 
unrestrained  outgoings  of  forgiveness  ;  meet,  not  in  tolera* 
tion  merely,  but  in  lustre  mutually  enhanced  and  in  fellow- 
ship, bursting  forth  with  mutual  rejoicings,  and  in  one  song, 
at  the  name  of  Jesus.  Finally,  that  glorious  development 
of  the  intellect  and  the  heart  of  Jehovah,  which  shall  over- 
awe, elevate,  and  gladden  the  holy  universe  forever,  is  made 
through  the  Church,  wrought  into  the  Church,  hung  in 
folds  of  light  about  her,  preserved  in  all  the  progress  of  her 
13 


146  HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION. 

growth  in  time,  and  shall  be  evolved  yet  more  and  more 
forever.  Thus  will  the  confirmed  Church,  as  she  holds  on 
her  shining  and  eternal  course,  constitute  the  galaxy  of 
divine  glory  in  the  spiritual  heavens.  On  her  path  thus 
radiant,  suspended  worlds  will  gaze  ;  on  her  history  thus 
evolved,  a  thoughtful  universe  will  dwell,  and  will  open 
itself  forever  to  these  grandest  manifestations  of  the  triune 
God.  While  through  the  Church  the  moral  glory  of  Je- 
hovah is  thus  developed,  there  is,  moreover,  in  her  spiritual 
guardianship,  life,  safety,  peace :  in  her  deep  communion 
of  consecrated  mind,  that  fellowship  for  which  the  human 
spirit  thirsts.  Its  present  interruptions  warn  us  of  its  real 
value ;  its  future  perfection  is  the  richest,  loftiest  reward  to 
which  immortality  can  aspire.  The  connection  which 
binds  you  as  consecrated  youth  to  this  community  is  there- 
fore of  a  most  elevated  and  interesting  nature.  It  rejoices 
my  heart  when  I  think  how  many  of  the  dear  children  of 
the  Church  are  now  members  in  full  communion,  having 
sought  her  fellowship,  acknowledged  her  claims,  and  devoted 
themselves  to  the  covenant  God.  Often  have  I  seen  them 
approach,  with  humble  but  joyous  aspect,  to  confess  their 
guilt  in  rejecting  so  long  the  claims  which  Were  placed  upon 
them  in  their  childhood,  and  in  voluntary  covenant  to 
avouch  the  God  of  their  parents'  faith  and  of  their  infant 
years,  to  be  their  God  forever.  To  all  such,  this  connec- 
tion has  resulted  in  its  gracious  design  ;  its  legitimate  ten- 
dency  is  made  known.  It  is  yours,  therefore,  to  feel  and 
exhibit  its  value.  Your  present  membership  should  lead 
you  to  grateful  recollection  of  your  covenant  God,  in  his 
early  care,  and  your  piety  should  be  as  eminent  as  your 
advantages  have  been  distinguished.  To  that  consecrated 
youth  who  has  never  consented  to  the  terms  of  life,  this 
connection  speaks  with  unutterable  tenderness  and  solem- 
nity.    It  unfolds  to  you  the  overwhelming  grandeur  of  the 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  147 

Church  in  the  most  persuasive  manner.     It  has  taken  that 
great  name,  which  she  wears  as  her  crown  of  glory,  and 
has  sealed  it  upon  your  brow.     It  has  publicly  separated 
you  from  the  world,  and  set  you  apart  as  the  devoted  pro- 
perty of  Christ.     It  has  placed  you  in  the  courts  of  the 
Lord's  house ;  commanded  for  you  the  full  exercise  of  pa- 
rental faith  ;  sanctified  for  your  eternal  welfare  the  deepest 
emotions  of  human  nature,  and  spread  the  majesty  of  the 
spiritual  world  around  the  minutest  concerns  of  home.     To 
place  you  in  these  circumstances,  the  God  of  grace  has 
controlled  the  winds  and  waves  of  ages,  long  before  your 
birth,  invested  the  very  beginnings  of  your  existence  with 
the  most  solemn  pledges.     He  did  not  give  your  soul  to  the 
charge  of  the  Pagan,  the  Mahometan,  or  the  Jew ;  to  the 
murderous  parentage  of  the  infidel,  the  thoughtless,  or  the 
vicious.     He  hath  rocked  you  in  the  cradle  of  faith,  and  con- 
signed you  first  to  the  purity  of  regenerated  love.     The 
first  token  of  affection  which  saluted  your  cheek  was  from 
sanctified  lips,  and  the  first  breathings  of  music  which  came 
over  your  soul  were  the  songs  of  the  Lord.      The  justice 
of  the  claim  so  tenderly  asserted,  you  will  not  deny ;  the 
right  of  God  thus  early  to  assert  it,  is  perfectly  clear ;  and 
now  let  me  ask,  is  not  his  tender  mercy  thus  revealed  to 
your  soul,  most  affecting,  most  astonishing !     What,  did  he 
begin  so  early  to  bind  you  with  the  cords  of  love  ?     Did  he 
so  soon  build  a  hedge  about  you  to  shelter  you  from  the  de- 
stroyer ?     Did  he  let  your  parents  into  his  spiritual  king- 
dom, and  then  reveal  its  glories  to  them  that  so  they  might 
unfold  them  to  you  ?     Did  he  require  them  both  to  promise, 
before  all  his  people,  that  they  would  do  all  in  their  power 
to  prepare  you  for  his  presence  ?     Did  he  mercifully  pro. 
mise  to  bless  their  exertions,  and  crown  their  labors  with 
success  ?     Has  he  placed  upon  them  his  mild  and  spiritual 
^pal,  and  placed  the  same  seal  also  upon  you  ?     When  your 


148  HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION. 

parents  have  almost  fainted,  hath  he  strengthened ;  when 
they  forgot  their  covenant  vows,  hath  he  forgiven  ;  and 
when  you  have  resisted  their  faithful  warnings,  hath  he 
still  waited ;  pursued  you  with  the  kind  invitation  ;  soften- 
ed you  with  the  dew  of  his  Spirit,  and  rebuilt  around  you 
again  and  again  the  enclosures  of  his  everlasting  covenant  ? 
O  consecrated  youth  \  child  of  the  Church  !  what  bitter 
enmity  to  God  is  that  which  starts  away  from  these  ad- 
vances of  grace  !  which  rends  those  silken  cords  of  mercy 
asunder !  Look  up  and  behold  the  ineffable  grandeur  of 
the  Church  ;  consider  that  precious  connection  which  makes 
thee  an  object  of  intense  interest  to  those  venerable  forms, 
yet  detained  from  those  higher  glories,  that  yet  they  may 
linger,  and  weep,  and  plead  with  thee.  O  let  them  hear 
thy  voice,  thou  who  hast  long  rebelled  against  the  holy 
baptismal  claim,  thou  who  hast  madly  striven  to  erase  the 
name  of  God  from  thy  forehead  :  O  before  that  last  linger- 
ing form  shall  pass  away,  let  thine  heart  speak  out,  <*  Thy 
people  shall  he  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God," 

2.  The  consecrated  children  of  the  Church  must  give 
account  at  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ  for  the  manner  in 
which  this  interesting  connection  is  treated 

Interesting  as  this  connection  is,  it  can  never  save  you, 
unless  you  actually  give  yourselves  to  Christ.  The  great 
question  is  now  placed  distinctly  before  you.  As  yet  you 
are  debarred  from  the  communion  of  saints.  That  very 
state  of  mind  which  calls  for  your  exclusion  now,  will  as 
certainly  demand  it  in  eternity.  On  account  of  the  ten- 
derness of  this  connection,  your  long  resistance  of  God's 
mercy  will  appear  infatuated  depravity.  If  you  have  lightly 
esteemed  these  noble  advantages  hitherto,  we  beseech  you 
to  pause  and  consider  in  what  manner  you  can  finally  meet 
the  rejected  God  of  the  covenant.  How  terrible,  if  turning 
your  hack  upon  the  claim  of  God  when  presented  in  mercy^ 


HOUSEHOLD    CONSECRATION.  149 

you  shall  be  compelled  to  meet  it  in  the  frown  of  insulted 
justice  and  avenging  retribution.     With  what  plea  can  the 
favored  son  of  the  Church  approach  the  throne,  who  has 
lived  and  died  impenitent  ?     What  wilt  thou  say,  O  child  of 
many  tears !  O  son  of  many  vows !    when  he  shall  punish 
thee  ?     How  will  that  violent  breaking  away  from  covenant 
kindness  seem  to  angels  ?     How  will  it  seem  to  many  a 
lost  soul  who  never  enjoyed  such  advantages?     How  will 
it  appear  to  thine  own  soul  in  the  scorching  meditations  of 
the  pit  ?  How  will  thy  restlessness  under  salutary  restraints, 
thy  pride  under  parental  admonitions,  thy  rashness  amongst 
so  many  interests  that  hung  trembling  around  thee,  how 
will  all  this  appear  in  those  terrible  scenes  of  despair? 
Pause,  now,  and  prepare  to  meet  thy  God !    When  infidelity 
assaults,  think  of  this  connection.     It  will  be  time  enoygh 
for  thee  to  become  an  infidel  when  thy  case  is  utterly  hope- 
less.    When  vice  allures,  think  of  this  connection.     Shall 
the  child  of  such  lofty  hopes  descend  to  vicious  indulgence  ? 
Canst  thou,  like  Esau,  like  Saul,  like  Absalom,  turn  away 
from  love,  and  mercy,  and  life  ?     Canst  thou  bitterly,  darkly 
perish  in  thy  violent  «ebellion  ?     Wilt  thou  not  from  this 
time  cry  unto  God,  "  My  Father  !  thou  art  the  guide  of  my 
youth."     Wilt  thou  not  yield  to  those  choice  influences 
which  issue  from  the  consecrated  affection  of  the  Church, 
and  are  shed  around  thy  soul !  which  are  mingled  with  all 
the  deepest,  strongest,  priceless  sympathies  of  the  domestic 
constitution?     Repent  of  all  thy  sin !     Press  in  while  the 
door  is  open  !     Give  thine  eternal  all  to  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost !     Then  shall  thy  name  be  inscri- 
bed on  the  same  bright  page,  where  stand  written  together 
thy  father's  and  thy  mother's.     Then  shalt  thou,  also,  be 
carried  by  angels  into  Abraham's  bosom. 

13* 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Practical  reflections.    Duties  of  the  Churches.    Consecration,  with 
special  reference  to  the  ministry.    Conclusion. 

The  discussions  which  have  engaged  our  attention  sug- 
gest a^few  concluding  thoughts  respecting  the  duties  of  the 
Church. 

1.  The  ordinance  of  household  consecration  should  be 
practically  regarded  according  to  its  real  importance. 

lln  these  times  of  revolution  and  of  storm,  the  subject  of 
family  religion  must  be  set  forth  prominently  among  the 
great  concerns  of  the  Church.  While  the  walls  of  Zion 
are  built  rapidly  and  high,  they  must  be  cemented  well  and 
firmly  founded.  The  vital  power  of  household  piety  is 
essential  to  the  stability  of  our  times ;  for,  without  this,  our 
moral  bulwarks  will  be  worthlessj  This  power  can  be 
ensured,  enhanced,  and  completely  developed,  only  by  the 
principles  of  household  consecration.  In  the  valuable  work 
of  Anderson  on  the  Domestic  Constitution,  the  persons 
whom  he  eulogizes,  as  monuments  of  its  moral  power,  were 
nearly  all — probably  all — consecrated  to  God  in  childhood 
on  the  principles  of  the  covenant.  This  fact  is  the  more 
impressive,  as  the  selection  was  made  without  recognizing 
the  presence  of  infant  dedication.  The  history  of  such 
households  as  were  formed  under  Cotton  Mather,  Philip 
Henry,  and  Thomas  Scott,  should  be  familiar  to  the 
Churches.  If  the  Church  wishes  for  more  such  men  as 
Matthew  Henry,  she  can  thus  understand  in  what  manner 
they  are  to  be  nurtured. 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  151 

2.  The  ministry  must  give  this  ordinance  a  prominent 
place  in  their  official  performances. 

The  pastors  of  the  Churches  will  be  held  responsible 
for  their  manner  of  treating  this  subject.  jThat  pastor  who 
shall  avail  himself  of  the  aid  which  this  divinely  established 
institution  is  able  to  afford,  may  gather  about  him  an  army 
of  living  preachers,  who  will  direct  the  holy  streams  of  the 
sanctuary  into  the  open  channels  of  communication  with 
millennial  ages.  J  If  the  ministry  will  perform  their  whole 
duty  in  prayer,  in  preaching,  and  in  family  visitation,  the 
Churches  will  soon  be  awakened,  and  the  energies^ pf  this 
institution  will  be  fully  appreciated. 

3.  The  application  of  these  principles  must  be  extended 
more  thoroughly  to  servants  and  other  permanent  members 
of  the  household.  Where  the  connection  is  transientJthe 
head  of  the  family  is  bound  to  direct,  instruct,  and  guide  in 
the  way  of  lifej  So  far  as  their  spiritual  welfare  is  con- 
ceined,'all  the  transient  servants  and  members  of  the  family 
have  a  right  to  his  prayers,  watchfulness,  and  patriarchal 
interest.  He  ought  never  to  introdjice  those  into  his  house- 
hold  who  will  not  honor  the  institutions  of  family  religion. 
A  servant,  whether  Catholic  or  Prgtestant,  should  never  be 
allowed  habitually  to  refuse  attendance  at  the  family  altar. 
Where  the  connection  is  expected  to  be  permanent,  as  in 
the  adoption  of  orphans  and  other  children  as  our  own,  as 
in  the  taking  of  poor  children  to  remain  for  years  as  do- 
mestics, they  should  be  consecrated  to  God  on  the  principles 
of  the  covenant.  This  was  the  case  in  the  household  of 
Abraham.  This  was  the  manner  in  which  the  connection 
between  master  and  servant  was  guarded,  sanctioned,  and 
blessed,  under  the  ancient  dispensation.  It  was  a  vq][untary 
connection,  when  not  a  penal  infliction— was  formed  for 
mutual  benefits,  and  hallowed  by  rehgious  vows.  If  these 
principles  were  duly  recognized,  very  different  would  b@ 


152  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECEATION. 

the  condition  of  poor  servants  in  most  families,  even  of  the 
Church.  The  domestic  relations  of  a  free  country  would 
be  blessings  to  thousands  of  those  who  otherwise  would  die 
without  instructioji.  Were  the  principles  of  household  con- 
secration thus  to  prevail  in  the  Church,  the  spirit  of  slavery 
would  be  forever  banished  from  her  borders.  Even  Abra- 
ham, holy  as  he  was,  could  not  be  entrusted  with  the  mild 
authority  which  he  exercised  over  his  servants,  without  be- 
ing required  to  give  a  most  solemn  pledgp  for  their  pious 
education. 

44jChurches  should  take  special  care  that  the  meaning 
of  this  ordinance  be  fully  explained  to  her  consecrated  chil- 
dren. For  this  purpose,  the  pastor  and  officers  of  the 
Church  should  directly  and  frequently  meet  with  the  chil- 
drg^.  For  this  purpose,  the  manner  in  which  this  duty  is 
discharged  by  every  parent  should  be  especially  investi- 
gatedj  A  full  apprehension  of  its  real  imgiort  would  exert 
a  most  salutary  influence  on  the  minds  of  the  children.  J^A 
consciousness  that  the  children  understood  it  would  power- 
fully affect  the  parent^ 

5.^The  Churches  must  exercise  a  peculiar  care  over 
their  baptized  childrerj  The  nature  of  their  relationship 
is  such,  that  they  are  to  be  considered  as  the  lambs  of  the 
flock.  ^In  this  ordinance  God  has  erected  around  them  a 
railing  of  defence,  and  has  charged  his  Church  not  to  aban- 
don them  to  the  prowling  wolves.  So  long  as  they  refuse 
to  believe,  the  Churches  must  not  admit  them  to  the  com- 
munion, nor  in  this  sense  consider  them  as  members.  Nei- 
ther, while  they  thus  remain,  is  it  best,  in  any  sense,  to  call 
them  members,  as  this  application  of  the  term  leads  to  con- 
fusionj  Yet  the  connection  which  they  do  sustain  requires 
just  such  a  system  of  discipline  as  shall  at  once  most  cer- 
tainly exclude  them  from  the  communion  until  they  are 
really  pious,  and  most  powerfully  hold  them  around  her 


HOUSEHOLD  CONSECRATION.  153 

altars  so  long  as  any  hope  of  their  conversion  remains,  and 
most  speedily  prepare  them  for  a  free  and  full  admission. 

iTherefore,  let  convincing  evidence  of  regeneration  be  de- 
manded, as  essential  to  membership  let  them  be  admon- 
ished through  their  parents,  and  pursued  with  entreaties, 
however  far  they  may  wander ;  let  them  never  be  given 
up,  till  they  are  utterly  beyond  our  reach :  and  finally,  let 
their  early  conversion  be  sought,  as  the  legitimate  object 
of  faith,  and  the  most  obvious  design  of  their  consecration. 

JJVhen  a  family  of  consecrated  children  generally  grow  up 
impenitent,  and  madly  break  away  from  religious  restraint, 
let  diligent  inquiry  be  made  of  their  parents  respecting  their 
household  regulations,  and  the  question,  "  Is  there  not  a 
cause  ?"  be  urged  home  upon  the  conscience!  In  this  man- 
ner a  rigorous  discipline,  of  the  most  tender  and  appropriate 
nature,  should  be  maintained,  and  embrace  in  its  supervi- 
sion the  lambs  of  the  Church. 

6.  There  is  one  more  duty  which  demands  considera- 
tion at  the  present  crisis.  I  refer  to  infant  consecration, 
with  special  reference  to  the  gospel  ministry.  There  are 
several  reasons  why  this  practice,  which  now  to  some  ex- 
tent exists,  should  be  generously  encouraged.  The  nature 
of  all  genuine  consecration  of  infants  to  God  implies  a  cor- 
dial consent,  on  the  part  of  parents,  that  God  should  take 
any  or  every  son  for  the  sacred  office.  There  are  many 
parents  who  have  publicly  dedicated  their  sons>  and  are 
unwilling  that  Christ  should  call  them  into  the  ministry,  or 
send  them  on  a  mission.  They  are  overcome  with  the 
temptations  of  the  world,  with  the  prospect  of  acquiring  the 
fortunes  and  the  fame  which  it  offers.  They  are  averse, 
especially,  to  give  the  noblest  of  the  flock  for  his  sacred 
service.  Let  the  Church  lift  aloud  her  warning  voice 
against  this  parental  invasion  of  her  Master's  claim.     Let 


154  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

her  denounce  it  as  sacrilege.     Let  her  read  aloud  to  such 
parents  the  story  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira. 

The  nature  and  privileges  of  the  covenant  encourage  this^ 
special  consecration.  *^  We  have  seen  that  the  promise  of 
the  covenant  is  large,  extensive,  and  inviting  to  the  highest 
exercise  of  faith.  There  is  ample  room  for  this  enlarged 
desire  to  glow  and  burn  freely  within  it.  Now,  if  the  be- 
lieving parents,  gazing  on  their  son,  feel  that  nothing  would 
so  fill  their  hearts  as  to  behold  him  an  eminently  devoted 
minister,  let  them  mingle  that  feeling  in  the  act  of  conse-' 
crating  faith,  let  them  breathe  with  it  freely  in  the  very 
atmosphere  of  the  covenant. 

This  special  consecration  is  encouraged  in  the  ancient 
history  of  the  Church. 

The  consecration  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  to  the  priesthood, 
the  special  consecration  of  the  first-born,  the  voluntary  de- 
dication of  Samuel  by  his  mother,  and  the  sublimer  dedica* 
tion  of  John  and  of  Jesus  to  their  exalted  destination,  cer- 
tainly invite  the  Church  of  the  present  age  to  the  frequent 
exercise  of  this  precious  privilege. 

Farther  encouragement  is  afforded  in  the  biography  of 
many  eminent  ministers.  The  number  of  such  men  who 
have  been  consecrated  to  God  in  childhood,  with  special 
reference  to  the  ministry,  would  surprise  any  one  who  had 
not  maturely  considered  the  subject.  I  need  but  mention 
the  names  of  Buchanan,  Newton,  Hooker,  Swartz,  Mills, 
Rice  of  Virginia,  Summerfield,  and  Thomas  Spencer.  The 
early  history  of  Buchanan  and  Newton  must  have  tried 
exceedingly  the  faith  which  had  especially  devoted  them  to 
the  sacred  office.  What  memorable  energy  must  have 
been  lodged  in  that  covenant  grasp  which  lifted  Newton 
from  shameful  debasement,  and  recalled  the  wandering 
Buchanan  from  vagrancy  and  ruin,  which  made  their  feet 


HOrsEHOLD  CONSfiCRAnOX*  155 

like  hinds'  feet,  and  caused  them  to  walk  on  the  high  places 
of  Zion.  The  Church  will  forever  rejoice  in  consequence 
of  that  parental  faith  which  gave  these  men  to  Christ,  and 
to  the  ministry  of  his  Church,  in  early  childhood.  The 
biographer  of  Summerfield  remarks  that,  ^^ previously  to 
the  birth  of  this  child,  his  father  has  been  frequently  heard  to 
say,  there  was  nothing  that  he  desired  more  in  early  life 
than  that  he  should  have  a  son,  that  that  son  should  he  a  mi' 
nister  of  the  gospel,  and  that  his  name  should  be  called  John, 
and  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  this  babe  his  father  solemnly 
dedicated  him  to  the  work  of  the  ministry."  The  interesting 
statement  presents  before  us  the  very  principle  which  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  all  consecration— /a«^/i  on  the  part  of 
the  parent,  in  the  gracious  promise  of  God,  strong,  enlarged, 
cheerful,  and  active.  God  has  thus  invited  his  friends  to 
come,  and  present  their  choicest  gifts  before  his  altar.  The 
plan  of  God's  grace  solicits  from  the  believer  the  fullest 
confidence  and  the  noblest  aims  and  efforts.  In  accordance 
with  these  invitations,  the  believing  parent,  assured  that  God 
will  receive  him  graciously,  may  come  boldly  to  the  throne, 
especially,  when  his  object  is  to  glorify  the  Saviour, 
through  the  services  of  his  children  ;'and  when  he  feels  that  to 
behold  his  son  a  faithful  niinister  of  the  cross,  would  be  his 
highest  joy,  he  may  know  both  from  the  promise,  and  from 
the  history  of  the  Church,  that  God  will  not  upbraid  him. 

This  practice  commends  itself  moreover  to  the  Church 
by  its  intrinsic  propriety. 

Where  the  parental  faith  is  vigorous,  and  the  conse- 
cration is  sincere  ;  where  the  believer  hath  gone  up  into 
the  higher  resources  of  the  covenant,  and  feels  himself  an- 
ointed with  its  peculiar  power,  so  that  he  may  place  his  in- 
fant son  in  his  Saviour's  arms,  and  rejoice  in  th  e  light  of 
his  countenance ;  he  is  prepared  to  enter  upon  the  steady 
prosecution  of  the  purpose  which  this  consecration  implies. 


156  HOUSEHOLD   CONSECRATION. 

That  a  consecrated  son  of  the  Church,  who  should  enter  the 
ministry,  through  such  a  process  of  special  and  definite 
training,  would  be  surrounded  with  unwonted  advantages, 
is  abundantly  manifest.  To  the  considerations  already  ad- 
duced, we  may  finally  suggest,  that  the  increasing  demand 
for  ministers  powerfully  urge  this  practice  upon  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Churches.  Oa  this  point  it  is  unnecessary  to 
dwell.  The  necessities  of  the  world,  the  straitened  opera- 
tions of  the  Church,  send  forth  an  exceedingly  earnest  cry 
for  m€n,  good  men,  and  many  men.  They  have  appealed 
to  our  pious  youth,  and  are  appealing  still.  This  appeal 
must  reach,  not  the  youth  only,  but  the  parents.  It  must 
pass  through  the  outer  courts.  It  must  be  lodged  upon  the 
altar. 

The  Church  of  Christ,  in  this  age  of  moral  conflict,  needs 
the  inexhaustible  resources  of  this  gracious  covenant. 
These  supplies,  so  ample,  so  glorious,  are  the  purchase  of 
her  Saviour's  blood  ;  the  gifts  of  his  mediatorial  throne  ! 
Let  them  neither  be  wasted  nor  lightly  esteemed.  The 
blood  must  be  sprinkled  upon  the  door-posts  of  Israel,  be- 
fore the  Church  shall  escape  from  Egypt.  1  She  must  write 
"  Holiness  to  the  Lord"  upon  her  children,  if  she  wishes  to 
behold  it  written  upon  all  things  J  in  the  spirit  of  consecra* 
ting  faith  she  must  stand  forth.  She  must  descend  upon 
the  vales  of  the  nineteenth  century  to  battle.  She  must  en- 
large the  place  of  her  tent ;  she  must  extend  its  cords* 
She  must  drive  down  her  stakes  amidst  the  deep  principles  of 
truth,  and  make  them  strong.  Then  when  she  consecrates  her 
offspring  to  God,  she  will  feel  that  approaching  generations 
are  looking  on — then  every  fresh  conquest  will  be  hailed  as 
another  pledge  of  universal  triumph — that  triumph,  thus 
gained,  shall  thus  be  secured  ;  and  the  rainbow  of  the  cove- 
nant shall  be  glorious  when  the  morning  breaketh,  and 
paradise  is  regained., 


ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS, 

Delivered  in  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church,  Broome-street,  New- York, 
before  the  New- York  City  Maternal  Association,  at  their  Annual 
Meeting,  March,  A.  D.  1836. 

The  spirit  of  the  age  demands  the  discussion  of  those 
great  principles  which  lie  at  the  foundation  even  of  old  and 
venerable  institutions.  These  principles,  as  they  are  roused 
up,  take  strong  hold  of  the  public  mind.  They  force  the 
prevailing  maxims  of  the  Church  and  the  world  into  fiercest 
conflict.  They  are  impelling  the  interests  of  both  towards 
their  final  junction. 

It  is  delightful  in  this  war  of  principles,  to  behold  some 
veteran  truth  shake  itself  from  the  mountainous  rubbish  of 
centuries,  and  break  forth  to  grapple  with  the  moral  Hydras 
of  this  and  of  former  ages.  The  soldier  of  the  truth,  the 
champion  of  the  right,  the  heaven-entitled  defender  of  the 
faith,  must  have  intimate  communion  with  these  permanent 
principles  of  all  times  and  places.  Only  thus  can  he  acquit 
himself  worthily  in  these  present  and  approaching  conflicts. 
He  must  look  deeper  intothe  elements  of  human  nature, 
and  into  the  divine  provision  for  their  control,  than  simply 
to  wonder  at  its  earthquakes,  or  analyze  the  ruin  of  its 
eruptions. 

The  leaders  of  the  Church  and  of  the  State  must  descend 
below  the  surface  of  public  opinion.  They  must  detect  those 
latent  energies  which  lie  around  the  roots  of  the  mountains. 
The  necessity  which  is  thus  devolved  upon  us  in  our  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  relations,  has  intruded  itself  into  the  do- 
14 


158  ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS. 

mestic  constitution.  It  is  useless,  with  the  hand  of  imbe- 
cility, to  wave  it  back.  The  Spirit  of  God,  who  broodeth 
over  the  moral  abyss>  is  summoning  these  giant  principles 
of  truth  to  abandon  their  cloisters,  to  disencumber  them- 
selves of  unadapted  armor,  for  the  purpose  of  returning 
defeat  for  defiance  to  the  champions  of  sin.  He  calls  to 
the  first  principles  of  rehgious  truth,  of  civil  government,  of 
the  domestic  constitution.  He  bids  them  come  forth,  and 
they  will  come.  The  purity  and  enlargement  of  the  Church ; 
the  defence  of  inalienable  civil  rights ;  the  salvation  of  do- 
mestic interests  in  the  present  and  in  future  generations, 
demand  their  presence.  Every  principle  of  man's  highest 
life,  and  of  God's  holy  cause,  will  hear  that  summons. 

Since,  therefore,  the  great  truths  of  the  family  compact 
must  be  roused,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  parent  to  compre- 
hend them,  to  appreciate  them,  spiritually,  in  their  bear- 
ings, both  upon  the  kingdoms  of  men  and  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Now,  if  ever,  should  the  Christian  parent  acquit 
himself  well.  Now,  if  ever,  should  he  understand  what 
power  of  self-preservation,  of  commanding,  far-reaching 
influence,  God  hath  wrought  into  the  relations  of  home. 
Now,  if  ever,  should  he  comprehend  what  God  has  done  in 
his  gracious  covenant  to  apply  that  power  for  the  renova- 
tion of  the  world.  Without  such  understanding,  no  parent 
can  be  completely  furnished  for  the  responsibilities  which 
are  rolled  upon  him.  As  it  is  important  that  the  truth  of 
this  position  should  clearly  appear,  I  solicit  your  considera* 
lion  of  the  following  sentiment : 

That  an  enlightened  and  spiritual  faith  in  the  provisions 
of  the  Ahrahamic  covenant  is  essential  to  the  perfection  of 
the  parental  character. 

In  contemplating  this  proposition,  we  shall  consider  its 
application  to  the  father  and  the  mother  in  their  respective 
relations. 


ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS.  159 

That  the  faith  of  which  we  speak  is  an  essential  qualifi- 
cation for  the  father,  is  manifest, 

1.  From  the  fact,  that  without  it  no  father  can  fully  ap, 
preciate  the  moral  grandeur  and  resources  of  the  domestic 
constitution. 

That  this  constitution  has  much  to  do  with  the  temporal 
welfare  and  civil  history  of  man  ;  much  with  the  forma^ 
tion  of  character  ;  much  with  man's  spiritual  and  highest 
good,  is  a  fact  with  which  the  philanthropist,  the  philoso^ 
phe  r,  and  the  Christian  are  well  acquainted.  Should  not 
its  resources,  therefore,  be  thoroughly  understood  by  the 
father,  its  natural  head  and  responsible  agent?  Who 
would  appoint  one  to  manage  the  movements  of  a  steamboat, 
who  was  entirely  ignorant  of  its  mighty  enginery,  or  to 
superintend  the  concerns  of  a  large  manufactory,  who  knew 
not  the  power  of  its  machinery  or  the  value  of  its  produc, 
tions  ?  Who  would  commit  an  extensive  mercantile  esta- 
blishment to  one  unacquainted  with  mercantile  transactions  ? 
Who  would  elect  a  president  over  this  nation,  who  under- 
stood neither  the  magnitude  of  her  interests,  nor  the  nature 
of  her  institutions  1 

The  importance  of  a  thorough  acquaintance,  on  the 
part  of  the  father,  with  the  great  moral  designs  and  re- 
sources of  that  constitution  which  he  is  to  administer,  will 
not  be  questioned.  That  an  intelligent  and  spiritual  faith 
in  the  Abrahamic  covenant  is  essential  to  that  thorough 
acquaintance,  will  be  not  merely  questioned,  but  promptly 
denied.  I  ask,  however,  your  candid  consideration  of  this 
one  inquiry :  What  the  provisions  of  that  covenant  have  to 
do  with  the  domestic  constitution  7 

The  God  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant  was  himself  the 
author  of  the  family  state.  Through  that  covenant  he  has 
revealed  the  grand  original  design  of  the  institution.  It 
was  the  promotion  of  holiness,  through  perpetual  time,  by 


160  ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS. 

means  of  moral  influence.  It  was,  after  the  fall,  the  reco- 
very of  a  train  of  generations  from  the  progress  of  eternal 
degradation.  It  was  to  gather,  even  from  the  appalling 
spectacle  of  the  tendency  of  evil  influence  on  a  course  of 
generations,  lessons  of  most  impressive  admonition  for  the  in- 
tercourse of  unnumbered  worlds  in  ceaseless  ages.  It  was  to 
improve  all  its  inherent  energies  for  the  lofl;iest  purposes  of 

grace. 

In  the  administration  of  this  design,  he  hath  lodged  in 

these  household  scenes  the  germs  of  the  mightiest  provi- 
dential revolutions  with  which  the  human  race  has  ever 
been  aflTected. 

He  rolled  over  the  world  the  waters  of  the  flood,  and 
swept  away  every  ungodly  family ;  he  called  Abraham 
from  the  idolatry  of  Chaldea,  and  promised  him  a  numerous 
posterity,  and  the  land  of  Canaan;  he  nourished  that 
posterity  even  in  the  land  of  Ham,  even  in  Egyptian  bon- 
dage, until  they  multiplied  to  milhons ;  he  gathered  those 
millions  around  the  base  of  Sinai,  for  the  promulgation  of 
his  law  ;  he  secured  a  long  succession  of  sentinels  for  its 
safe  transmission  ;  cast  up  a  highway  of  holy  generations 
for  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  and  spread  over  the  regions 
of  depravity  a  soil  which  should  absorb  for  its  moisture  the 
descending  dews  of  the  Spirit. 

The  action  of  the  covenant  upon  the  natural  ingredients 
of  the  family  constitution,  has  extended  the  chain  of  gra- 
cious designs  through  all  the  periods  of  time,  and  anointed 
each  link  with  their  living  energy.  It  has  prepared  from  these 
domestic  elements  the  sublimest  monuments  of  mercy,  and 
by  contrasting  these  with  the  natural  results  of  family  influ- 
ence, perverted,  misemployed,  debased,  he  has  revealed,  as 
majestic  beacons  to  all  ages,  most  remarkable  specimens  of 
avenging  justice.  It  has  poured  grandeur  over  the  whole 
system  of  household  intercourse ;  it  has  connected  the  least 


ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS.  161 

of  its  concerns  with  the  concerns  of  the  Church ;  it  has 
subordinated  its  main  design  to  the  main  design  of  the 
Church  ;  and  wherever  the  grace  of  that  covenant  has 
entered  a  house,  to  be  greeted  with  welcome,  and  there  wel- 
comed to  abide,  it  has  transcribed  the  genealogy  of  its  ages 
into  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  and  preserved  the  story  of  its 
fireside  for  the  instruction  of  angels  and  the  admiration  of 
worlds. 

It  has  brought  down  to  the  father  promises  full  of  grace 
and  truth,  full  of  life,  inexhaustible  wealth,  and  hereditary 
glory. 

Moreover,  it  has  drawn  upon  the  relations  which  are 
woven  into  its  constitution,  as  upon  a  canvass, .  the  linea- 
ments of  its  spiritual  kingdom.  It  has  taken  the  relation 
between  husband  and  wife  to  illustrate  that  between  Christ 
and  his  Church  ;  between  parent  and  child,  to  illustrate  that 
between  God  and  the  believer ;  between  the  children  them- 
selves, to  denominate  those  between  believers ;  between 
master  and  servant,  that  between  Christ  and  his  ministers. 
Finally,  it  has  taken  the  family  constitution  itself,  with  all 
its  combined  relations,  to  illustrate  the  harmony  and  bless- 
edness of  heaven. 

The  father,  who  believes  and  rejoices  in  the  covenant, 
will,  therefore,  regard  the  domestic  relations  in  their  spiritual 
aspect.  He  will  appreciate  in  his  own  soul  that  great  pro- 
mise, I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and  thy  seed  after  thee.  He 
will  plead  it  before  God.  It  is  only  by  this  faith,  therefore, 
that  he  can  so  consecrate  the  household  influence  as  to  meet 
the  conditions  of  the  promise.  It  is  only  thus  that  he  can 
realize  its  largeness  and  inherit  its  advantages.  Is  it  not 
the  rule  of  mercy.  Be  itio  you  according  to  your  faith  ? — 
Must  not  faith  lean  upon  a  promise  1  Then,  to  believe, 
must  not  man  understand?  If  the  promise  is  large,  must 
not  the  faith  which  meets,  honors,  inherits  it  in  its  fulness,  be 
14* 


162  ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS. 

also  enlarged  7  Can  a  man,  then,  approach  the  highest 
attainable  blessings  for  himself,  his  family,  and  his  posterity 
without  this  faith  ?  If  not,  then  can  he  without  it  be  what 
a  father  should  be  ? 

Is  it  of  no  moment  whether  there  pass  down  upon  his 
posterity  an  unfailing  river  of  curses  or  of  blessings  ?  whether 
the  long  valley  be  full  of  dry  bones  or  of  living  men  1 — 
Faith  in  the  promise,  being  thus  essential  to  the  blessing,  is 
essential  both  to  the  performance  of  the  condition  and  the 
application  of  the  seal.  The  consecration  of  our  families  is 
but  the  public  expression  of  this  faith  ;  the  public  avowal 
of  a  fixed  purpose  to  fulfil  these  conditions ;  the  public 
sealing  over  of  these  immeasurable  interests  to  the  faithful- 
ness of  a  covenant-keeping  God. 

Manifestly,  then,  an  intelligent,  spiritual  faith  in  the 
Abrahamic  covenant,  in  its  promises,  terms,  and  seal,  is 
essential  to  the  father,  if  he  would  gain  for  the  long  suc- 
cession of  immortal  minds  committed  to  his  care  the  high- 
est possible  blessings,  if  he  would  elevate  to  its  highest 
moral  efficacy  the  domestic  constitution. 

Is  he  worthy  of  a  father's  station  who  would  not  do 
this  ?  Is  he  qualified  for  that  station  who  can  not  do  it  ? 
Can  it  be  done  without  faith  ?  No  !  every  leaf  of  grace  is 
thus  endorsed  by  the  hand  of  justice  :  Without  faith  it  is 
impossible  to  please  Mm.  It  is  here,  as  elsewhere.  He 
that  will  grasp  the  promise,  and  rejoice  in  the  blessing,  must 
believe.  He  who,  standing  at  the  head  of  the  family  com- 
pact, will  develop  in  view  of  the  world  those  amazing 
resources  of  mercy  with  which  the  covenant  connection 
hath  endowed  it,  must  therefore  have  this  faith  clearly  in 
the  understanding,  glowingly  in  the  heart. 

2.  The  truth  of  this  sentiment  will  be  farther  manifest, 
from  the  fact,  that  without  this  faith  the  father  cannot  lay 
his  plans  for  the  regulation  of  his  official  conduct  on  proper 


ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS.  163 

principles.  His  plans  of  action  should  be  graduated  ac- 
cording to  the  dignity  and  resources  of  the  state  over  which 
he  presides.  He  should  aim  to  accomplish  all  which  the 
compact  is  designed  to  accomplish.  He  cannot  be  expected 
to  rise  higher  than  he  aims ;  his  aim,  therefore,  must  be  as 
high  as  the  occasion  warrants.  If,  then,  unless  the  father 
shall  exercise  the  faith  of  which  we  speak,  he  will  not  even 
apprehend  the  capacities  of  the  domestic  constitution,  and 
will  aim  to  accomplish  only  what  he  imagines  it  able  to 
effect :  then,  of  course,  his  noblest  plans  of  action  will  fall 
as  far  below  the  mark  which  he  should  endeavour  to  reach, 
as  his  views  do  below  the  moral  grandeur  of  the  relation. 

Faith  in  the  covenant,  however,  will  aggrandize  all  his 
family  arrangements.  He  will  form  every  household  plan 
on  the  principle,  that  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  his  whole  household,  shall  be  its  final  object. 
He  will  plan,  therefore,  remembering  that  he  and  all  his 
belong  to  Christ ;  that  every  calculation  should  be  such  as 
the  living  Head  himself  would  sanction  ;  that  his  household 
have  been  especially  claimed  by  the  Saviour  himself;  that 
on  him  it  rests  to  instruct  them  in  that  claim,  and  plead  with 
them  to  acknowledge ;  that  God  has  certainly  promised  to 
add  the  divine  blessing  to  his  labors ;  that  the  Sanctifier 
himself  has  promised,  assured  success ;  and  that,  finally, 
from  his  parental  faithfulness  that  same  spirit  will  bring 
forth  a  glorious  moral  influence  for  ages  yet  unborn,  and 
will  send  down  his  own  precious  grace  to  a  thousand  gene- 
rations through  the  channel  thus  constructed. 

Thoughts  like  these  must  elevate  the  plans  which  they 
control.  His  daily  domestic  habits ;  his  choice  of  the  business 
by  which  he  will  maintain  his  children;  of  the  society  to 
which  he  will  introduce  them  ;  of  the  schools  in  which  he 
will  educate  them  ;  the  personal  influence  under  which  he 
will  seek  to  form  their  character ;  the  religious  ordinances 


164  ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS. 

from  which  he  will  derive  their  spiritual  impressions  ;  these 
must  all  be  adopted  in  conformity  with  the  elevated  purpose 
which  his  faith  in  the  covenant  has  produced.  Thus  will 
he  be  prompted  to  resolve  on  that  course  of  conduct  which 
shall  put  the  moral  resources  of  the  domestic  constitution 
to  the  test,  and  prove  to  the  utmpst  the  spiritual  wealth  of 
the  everlasting  covenant. 

3,  That  an  intelligent  and  cordial  faith  in  this  covenant 
is  essential  to  the  father,  is  manifest  from  the  fact,  that 
otherwise  the  full  force  of  those  motives  will  not  be  felt  un- 
der which  God  designed  to  form  the  parental  character. 

The  objects  of  the  family  compact  are  so  vast,  its  inte- 
rests so  precious,  its  influence  when  perverted  so  terrible, 
that  God  has  in  his  covenant  provided  the  strongest  con- 
ceivable motives,  in  order  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  the 
father  with  his  own  truth  and  Spirit.  For  this  he  gave 
him  the  companion  of  his  love,  entrusted  her  temporal  com- 
fort to  his  care,  blended  her  earthly  interests  with  his  own, 
revealed  to  him  the  gracious  design,  addressed  him  as  an 
intimate  friend,  promised  him  persevering  grace,  provided 
him  with  strength  to  defend  his  household,  and  with  influence 
to  do  them  good,  commanded  him  publicly  to  devote  them  as 
really  as  he  had  devoted  himself,  directed  him  to  do  it  in 
the  same  form,  required  a  solemn  pledge  that  he  would 
treat  them  as  the  Lord's,  assured  him  of  grace  to  fulfil  his 
pledge  ;  and,  finally,  ofiered  him  the  Spirit's  influence,  not 
merely  for  his  immediate  offspring,  but  for  his  remote  de- 
scendants. 

What  motives  can  we  imagine  stronger  than  these? 
Combining  the  consciousness  of  parental  authority  with  the 
tenderness  of  most  intimate  love,  with  the  joyousness  of 
every  bright  hope ;  blending  all  a  father's  with  all  a  Chris- 
tian's emotions ;  calling  into  the  service  his  sincerest  vows, 
his  most  public  character,  and  most   noble  aspirations ; 


ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS.  165 

pledging  him  personal  immortality  in  heaven,  and  relative 
immorlality  on  earth  ;  and  both  resulting  in  multiplied  sal- 
vation hereafter.  This  combination  of  motives,  if  it  pre- 
vail through  his  heart,  will  lift  him  to  a  sublime  relation- 
ship to  all  the  glories  of  the  Church,  and  the  final  develop- 
ments of  the  Godhead. 

Is  it  rash  now  to  say,  that  unless  a  man  believe  the  co- 
venant from  which  these  motives  are  drawn,  he  cannot  feel 
their  power  ?  Can  he  rise  under  their  elevating  influence 
who  doth  not  apprehend  their  existence  ?  By  so  mueh  as 
you  diminish  a  father's  faith  in  the  covenant,  do  you  there- 
fore detract  from  the  influence  under  which  the  God  of  the 
covenant  designed  the  character  of  a  father  to  be  moulded, 
polished,  and  perfected.  Thus  again  we  are  brought  to  the 
conclusion,  most  directly,  that  this  covenant  faith  is  an  es- 
sential qualification  for  every  father. 

4.  This  conclusion  is  substantiated  by  the  manner  in 
which  this  faith  leads  him  up  among  the  precious  promises 
and  unlocks  to  him  their  inexhaustible  treasures. 

The  principle  by  which  the  believer  inherits  the  object 
of  his  faith  has  been  already  stated.  It  must  respect  the 
peculiar  promise  of  this  covenant,  in  order  to  obtain  its  pe- 
culiar blessing.  His  faith  will,  in  its  different  degrees, 
enable  him  to  ford  the  stream,  according  as  the  waters  rise 
to  the  ankles,  or  successively  to  the  breast ;  will  enable 
him  to  walk  on  their  current  when  they  cannot  be  passed 
over.  The  strength  of  faith  shall  produce  depth  of  study ; 
and  the  well-studied  promise  will  react  upon  the  faith,  add- 
ing strength  to  strength,  and  giving  grace  for  grace.  How 
valuable  then  to  the  father  is  this  privilege  of  believing ! 
Since  he  is  thus  appointed  the  spiritual  guardian  of  his  fa- 
mily, placed  in  most  responsible  circumstances,  how  rea- 
sonable the  expectation,  how  precious  the  knowledge,  that 


166  ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS. 

ample  provision  is  made  for  all  his  wants  and  for  every 
conflict. 

Assured  of  this,  let  him  come  boldly  to  the  Spirit's 
throne.  Let  him  study  the  scope  and  bearings  of  this  co- 
venant ;  the  illustrious  instances  of  its  might,  which  the 
history  of  divine  grace  unfolds  ;  and  the  highest  of  its  hea- 
venly places  to  which  the  Church  militant  may  aspire.  In 
the  lofly  honors  of  the  twelve  tribes,  in  the  advent  of  the 
Messiah,  in  the  prosperity  of  the  gospel  among  the  Grentiles, 
in  the  arm  of  mercy,  which,  outstretched  still — notwith- 
standing eighteen  hundred  years  of  unbelief — even  now 
holds  every  wandering  Jewish  father,  as  the  ancestor  of  a 
race  of  saints ;  in  the  utterance  of  prophecy,  which  an- 
nounces restoration  for  the  Jew,  and  enhanced  glory  of 
adoption  for  the  Gentile ;  he  may  read  the  deep — may  feast 
on  the  gracious — things  of  God.  Such  studious  faith  will 
bring  the  promise  home  to  his  own  heart,  as  a  thing  where- 
of to  glory.  It  will  teach,  that  even  for  him  there  is  no 
parental  good  inaccessible  to  his  aspiring  toil ;  that  he  can 
neither  aim  too  high,  trust  too  far,  nor  hope  too  much,  if  he 
will  aim,  and  trust,' and  hope  as  the  covenant  guides  him. 

His  emotions  will  become  stronger,  richer,  mellower, 
as  he  follows  the  meandering  of  its  waters,  in  the  domestic 
scenery  which  the  hand  of  Providence  hath  created  within 
his  own  observation.  Although  few  indeed  are  the  fathers 
that  have  risen  to  the  highest  awards  of  faith,  yet  there  are 
those  whose  very  names  are  brightened  by  the  unction  of 
the  blessing  so  long  abiding.  The  name  of  Edwards,  a 
very  mantle  for  the  saints ;  of  Dwight,  the  inheritor  of  its 
holy  radiance ;  of  Mather,  and  Scott,  and  Henry,  and  huo- 
dreds  of  others  well  known  in  the  public  records  of  Zion ; 
of  multitudes  more,  well  known  in  the  deep,  but  more  obscure 
records  of  the  heart,  might  be  adduced  as  illustrations  of  its 


ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS.  167 

hallowed  sway.  It  is  mentioned  in  one  book  as  marvel- 
lous, that  the  children  of  a  man,  named  above,  can  reckon 
seven  generations  of  a  pious  ancestry.  Yet  why  should 
this  seem  marvellous  ?  It  does  not  to  the  enlarged  heart  of 
covenant  faith  :  a  careful  examination  of  household  records 
around  us  would  even  present  many  cases  not  less,  nay, 
very  many,  that  are  more  illustrious.  Many  indeed  are  the 
fathers,  who,  by  the  strong  wrestlings  of  patriarchal  faith, 
have  left  the  power  of  their  example — the  accumulating 
interest  of  their  own  rich  grace,  as  a  glorious  legacy  for 
successive  generations. 

But  "  thou  shalt  see  greater  things  than  theseJ'^  The 
covenant  promise  was  made  by  him  who  predestinated  the 
millennium.  It  was  adapted,  therefore,  to  the  largeness  of* 
millennial  faith ;  its  structure  was  capacious,  that  so  it 
might  contain  all  the  interests  which  the  earlier  fathers  of 
those  bright  ages  may  roll  into  it.  As  that  blessed  era 
approaches,  th^  vision  of  the  Church  will  be  enlarged,  to 
read,  and  measure,  and  enjoy  the  covenant  prospects.  The 
ancestry,  not  remote,  of  those  millennial  fathers,  is  now 
forming.  How  shall  the  fathers  now  on  the  stage  acquit 
themselves  honorably  towards  the  coming  generations,  un- 
less they  now  take  hold  of  the  covenant  ? 

It  is  faith  alone  which  annihilates  the  distance  of  many 
generations.  Faith  places  the  covenant  home  by  the  very 
gate  of  heaven.  It  enables  the  father,  who  has  well  com- 
pared spiritual  promises  with  spiritual  providences,  forming 
his  character  under  these  views,  and  plans,  and  motives,  to* 
summon  even  here,  and  daily,  descending  thousands,  in  the 
assuring  visions  of  promise,  around  the  domestic  altar. — 
He  may  say,  as  if  in  their  realized  presence,  Here  am  /, 
and  the  children  whom  thou  hast  given  me. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  prove, 

2.  That  an  enlightened  and  spiritual  faith  in  the  Abra- 


168  ADDRESS    TO   PARENTS. 

hamic  covenant,  is  essential  to  the  perfection  of  the  mater' 
nal  character.     The  truth  of  this  sentiment,  appears, 

1.  From  the  consideration,  that  the  mother  is  entrusted 
with  the  charge  of  human  nature  in  its  earliest  conditions. 

Thje  introduction  of  a  new  immortal  to  scenes  of  moral 
accountability — to  a  seres  of  moral  feelings  and  deeds 
which  will  never  end,  is  the  prerogative  of  the  mother.  It 
is  her  voice,  that,  morning  by  morning,  wakens  its  softest 
impressions.  It  is  her  soul  of  thought,  and  tenderness,  and 
fire,  which  first  seeks  out  the  hidden  sources  of  moral  life, 
and  calls  up  the  harmonious  energies  of  existence. 

She  can  hear  the  inward  chiming  of  the  affections  when 
others  cannot.  She  fashions  its  earliest  smile,  and  dries 
up  its  earliest  tear.  She  daily  governs,  originates,  diversi* 
fies  its  earliest  plans.  She  sings  the  cradle  hymn.  From 
her  lips  the  child  first  gains,  and  best  gains,  his  impressions 
of  God,  and  Christ,  and  duty,  of  happiness  and  heaven. 
From  her  lips  he  catches  his  first  idea  of  the  chief  end  of 
man — the  great,  the  marvellous  idea  of  eternity. 

It  is  then  of  vast  moment  that  the  heart  of  the  mother 
should  be  well  qualified  for  this  ministry.  She  should 
clearly  perceive  the  worth  of  the  human  spirit,  its  relations 
to  God  and  its  connections  with  the  plan  of  redeeming 
grace,  with  the  final  disclosures  of  the  triune,  self-reveal- 
ing  God.  She  should  understand  correctly,  and  practically, 
the  design  of  God  in  trusting  such  an  agent  for  purposes  of 
moral  formation  in  her  hands.  She  hath  need  to  be  ade- 
quately apprised  how  fearful  are  the  elements  of  depravity 
and  the  exposures  of  an  immortal  nature.  All  this  she 
needs  in  order  to  comprehend  the  full  scope  of  that  respon- 
sibility under  which  she  is  commissioned  to  act.  This  she 
will  gain  only  by  a  prayerful  study  of  the  grand  principles 
and  design  of  the  covenant.  Thus  she  will  perceive  how 
the  covenant  of  redemption  mingles  with  the  covenant  of 


ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS.  169 

grace,  and  how  they  both  make  the  Abrahamic  covenant 
the  reservoir  for  the  main  body  of  their  waters.  Thus  she 
can  see  why  the  God  of  the  covenant  hath  set  all  the 
strength  of  a  mother's  love  about  the  moral  beginnings  of  the 
infant  mind.  Thus  will  she  feel  the  necessity  which  is  laid 
upon  her  of  rousing  to  her  predestined  work  all  the  energies 
of  her  nature.  Thus  she  will  understand  why  it  is  that 
when  by  the  very  strength  of  her  natural  affection,  she 
might  be  tempted  to  idolatry,  God  has  written  in  front  of 
her,  on  the  brow  of  her  child,  This  is  mine.  Why  it  is, 
that  just  when  she  would  be  tempted  to  remissness,  he  has, 
in  the  ordinance  which  presents  his  claim,  demanded  her 
pledge  ?  Why  it  is  that  this  intense  love,  thus  sanctified 
for  glorious  purposes,  should  prompt  her  to  ply  all  the 
energies  of  a  mother's  ingenuity  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  child.  Thus  she  will  comprehend  why  the  son  of  her 
sorrows  should  be  the  son  of  her  vows ;  why  that  same 
wisdom  which  wrought  into  her  being  the  elements  of  in- 
suppressible  love,  wrought  also  amidst  the  scenes  of  its 
birth  the  ingredients  of  the  primeval  curse.  It  was,  that  all 
might  know,  and  that  she  might  feel,  most  of  all,  the  over- 
whelming value  of  the  soul,  and  the  overwhelming  grandeur 
of  that  relation  on  which  its  character  and  interest  are  sus- 
pended. 

I  ask,  now,  if  the  mother  can  demonstrate  her  adequacy 
to  the  mother's  work,  without  a  glowing  faith  in  these  cove- 
nant truths  ?  Must  she  not  understand,  believe,  and  feel 
them,  in  order  to  walk  in  the  full  light,  and  have  the  candle 
of  the  Lord  shine  with  all  its  own  lustre  about  her  taber- 
nacle ? 

2.  The  faith  of  which  we  speak  is  essential  to  the  mo- 
ther, because  her  province  is  peculiarly  with  the  heart. 

To  educate  the  intellect  is  not  peculiarly  hers,  except 
in  early  years.     To  educate  the  heart,  is  peculiarly  hers, 
15 


170  ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS. 

always.  The  earliest  affection  in  the  bosom  of  an  infant, 
which  seems  like  moral  affection,  is  love  to  the  mother. — 
The  young  being  soon  begins  to  feel  that  relations 
exist  between  him  and  the  ever  present  object  from  which 
his  comforts  come,  in  whose  smile  he  reads  delight,  and  in 
whose  frown  he  feels  control.  Hence,  probably,  the  ear- 
liest feelings  of  remorse  of  which  children  are  usually  con- 
scious, arise  from  having  grieved  a  mother,  from  having 
violated  those  relations  which  they  most  clearly  perceive 
and  most  keenly  feel.  The  happiness  of  the  human  spirit, 
through  its  future  moral  history,  depends  on  the  bestowment 
of  its  affections.  The  mother  is  providentially  placed  where 
she  receives  the  first  outgoings  of  affection.  To  that  mo- 
ther's caress,  the  first  perceptible  and  most  attenuated 
cords  of  moral  agency  are  attuned,  and  the  first  impulses 
which  are  to  pass  down  the  everlasting  current  of  affection 
issue  from  it. 

If  to  these  considerations  we  add  the  intense  energy  of 
the  maternal  love,  we  shall  at  once  perceive  that  the  mo- 
ther has  an  access  to  the  heart,  which,  if  subservient  to 
evil  purposes,  is  truly  terrific,  and  if  consecrated  to  good,  is 
benevolently  majestic.  Since,  therefore,  such  peculiar 
power  is  in  her  hands ;  since  the  pathway  to  the  young  heart 
is  so  familiar  to  her,  that  even  when  the  rubbish  of  age  hath 
covered  it,  and  the  crimes  of  life  encrusted  it,  she  hest  and 
oflen  alone  can  find  it ;  how  important  that  her  affections 
should  be  spiritualized  ;  that  their  first  emanations  should 
be  pure,  and  their  earliest  impulses  should  be  holy.  How 
important  that  the  great  sun  of  truth  should  look  in  upon 
them  and  form  them  into  a  heart  of  spiritual  vigor, — into  a 
fountain  of  spiritual  life. 

Yet  what  views  of  truth  can  so  lifl  up  the  heart  as  those 
which  the  covenant  gives.  What  amazing  objects  of  concern 
it  unveils  to  the  vision  of  faith.     What  intense  power  of 


ADDRESS    TO    PAEENTS.  171 

motives  it  brings  to  bear  precisely  on  the  point  where  the 
mother's  love  and  the  child's  love  are  linked  together.  It 
takes  the  ardent  aspirations  of  the  soul,  and  treasures  them 
as  blessings  for  the  child.  It  transforms  whatever  there  is 
sensual,  trifling,  or  vain,  in  the  natural  sympathies  of  the 
relation,  into  the  pure,  the  elevated,  the  spiritual.  It 
claims  all  for  God,  and  having  connected  the  welfare  of  the 
child  with  the  admission  of  the  claim,  urges  the  principles 
of  entire  consecration  deep  to  the  heart,  forming  that  heart 
into  correspondence  with  holiest  truth,  and  reflecting  the 
light  thus  formed  upon  the  open  heart  of  the  child.  The 
maternal  aflTection,  thus  ennobled,  will  become  the  channel 
of  sanctification  and  spiritual  elevation  to  all  other  affec 
tions,  and  will  shine  most  radiaut  in  the  family  constel- 
lation. 

It  is  by  the  aflTections  that  men  are  swayed,  character- 
ized and  impelled,  classed  into  families,  beset  with  compa- 
nionships, and  combined  in  business.  It  is  by  the  affections 
that  they  are  deceived,  brutalized,  and  destroyed ;  that 
they  are  converted,  sanctified,  and  glorified ;  that  they  are 
maddened  for  deeds  of  shame ;  that  they  are  inspired  for 
actions  of  self-denying  virtue  and  benevolent  daring. 

The  covenant,  therefore,  placing  the  great  claim  of 
God  over  all  man's  affection,  writes  that  claim  over  the 
first  throbbings  of  the  infant  brow,  infuses  it  into  the  first 
burning  glance  or  gaze  which  reveals  the  mother's  heart 
to  the  heart  of  the  child,  and  sheds  abroad  the  mellowing 
agency  of  the  Spirit  only  on  the  affections. 

How,  then,  shall  the  Christian  mother  advance  to  th© 
solemn  business  of  living,  breathing,  moving  amidst  a  circle 
of  young,  susceptible,  and  glowing  hearts,  who  hath  not 
gained  that  celestial  anointing  which  deep  communion  with 
the  spirit  of  the  covenant  alone  can  give  ?     That  mother 


172  ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS. 

who  hath  washed  the  feet  of  covenant  mercy  with  her 
tears,  who  hath  revealed  her  most  enshrined  love  to  its 
heart-searching  inquiries  after  idolatrous  thoughts,  who 
hath  devoted  her  strongest  passions  and  her  loftiest  energy 
to  its  grand,  its  compassionate,  its  glorious  purposes,  she 
will  feel  that  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  which  the  covenant 
gives,  is  more  precious  than  all  other  precious  things ;  that 
the  vital  presence  of  the  Spirit  is  so  essential  to  her  fondest 
hopes,  that  without  it  she  would  not  dare  to  leave  the  print 
of  a  mother's  footsteps  along  the  pathway  of  domestic  affec- 
tion. 

3.  This  faith  in  the  household  covenant  is  essential  to 
the  mother,  because  it  unfolds  the  vast  importance  of  that 
sphere  of  action  which  God  has  assigned  to  woman. 

Ordinarily,  she  is  not  called  to  scenes  where  much 
physical  strength  is  requisite,  or  much  public  notoriety  is 
incurred.  She  is  not  expected  to  appear  amidst  the  bustle 
of  the  exchange,  amidst  the  strife  of  public  affairs,  or  the 
severe  labors  of  the  shop,  or  the  farm.  She  is  not  expected 
to  occupy  the  sacred  desk  or  the  hall  of  legislation ;  to  plead 
at  the  bar,  or  to  sit  on  the  throne  ;  to  contend  for  the  prize 
of  medical  skill  or  of  martial  glory.  Had  she  been  destined 
for  this  sphere,  God  would  have  endowed  her  with  the 
requisite  physical  might  and  intellectual  hardihood.  There 
have  been  emergencies,  however,  when  public  or  private 
necessity  has  constrained  even  woman  to  stand  forth  as  the 
queen  of  nations  and  the  prophetess  of  God. 

We  do  not  stay  to  relate  how  God  hath  taught  her 
discretion,  and  used  her  wisdom  to  defeat  the  wise,  and  her 
feebleness  to  overcome  the  strong.  But  her  sphere,  her 
own  peculiar  sphere,  is  wide  and  powerful,  yet  it  is  diverse 
from  all  this,  for  it  lies  nearest  the  spiritual  world.  God 
has  stationed  her  there,  that  she  may  grasp  the  young 


ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS.  173 

spirit  on  its  first  entrance  upon  this  stormy  life,  and  stamp 
first  and  deeply  upon  the  early  heart  just  impressions  of 
the  spiritual  world. 

By  this  means,  she  may  prepare  even  the  son  for  all 
future  scenes  of  moral  conflict.  She  must  remember  that 
her  beloved  boy  is  to  go  where  she  may  not  go,  and  that 
where  the  mother  herself  is  not  seen,  she  will  be  known 
through  her  son,  and  that  if  his  name  goes  down  to  pos- 
terity, posterity  will  inquire  after  hers;  they  will  inquire, 
not  for  her  name  only,  but  for  her  character ;  they  will 
look  in  upon  her  nursery  ;  they  will  study  the  peculiarities 
of  her  temper ;  they  will  connect  them  with  the  shame  or 
glory  of  her  son. 

The  mothers  of  Samuel,  of  David,  and  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist, of  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and  of  Timothy,  are  known  as 
widely  as  their  sons.  The  mothers  of  Wesley,  and  Ed- 
wards, of  Dwight,  and  Doddridge,  and  a  host  of  others,  share 
in  the  holy  eminence  of  these  men  of  God.  The  mothers 
of  many  a  tyrant,  or  profligate  writer,  or  miserable  infidel, 
share  in  another  eminence,  the  eminence  of  authority  abused 
and  of  genius  morally  degraded.  Faithful  biography,  that 
tells  these  stories  of  the  dead  to  us,  will  tell  the  same  stories 
to  those  who  shall  come  after  us.  She  will  deal  with  the 
maternal  character  of  this  generation  as  she  has  with  that 
of  the  past.  In  the  statuary  which  she  chisels  out,  she  will 
fold  it  as  the  everlasting  drapery  of  the  figure;  for  the 
statue  and  its  drapery  are  chiselled  from  the  same  material. 

Should  the  Christian  mother  consecrate  her  son  to  some 
high,  patriotic,  philanthropic,  and  evangelical  labor  and  of- 
fice, she  can  do  much  towards  giving  the  first  direction  ; 
if  she  lays  hold  of  the  covenant,  she  can  realize  the  aspi- 
rations of  her  fondest  wishes ;  if  she  will  study  deeply  into 
the  import,  the  history,  and  the  privileges  of  household  con- 
15* 


174  ADDRESS    TO    T^RExN'TS* 

secration,  though  she  never  will  proudly  pray  like  the  mo-' 
ther  of  Zebedee's  children,  she  may  silently,  but  effectually 
pray  like  the  mother  of  Sannuel.  She  will  know  how  in 
the  sweet,  quiet  peace  of  covenant  faith,  to  "  sit  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,"  and  will  "  ponder  these  things  in  her  heart"  over  her 
children,  till  she  can  hear  *"  their  angels"  whisper,  "  She 
hath  chosen  that  good  part,  which  shall  not  be  taken  from 
her." 

There  is  another  peculiarity  in  woman's  sphere,  which 
illustrates  the  value  of  faith  in  the  covenant.  She  is  espe- 
cially charged  with  the  education  of  the  daughter.  When 
her  son  has  gone  forth  amidst  the  conflicts  of  life,  the  daugh- 
ter is  still  with  her.  That  daughter  should  never  be  obliged 
to  apply  to  novels  for  the  knowledge  of  human  nature,  nor 
to  hired  instructers  for  the  knowledge  of  manners,  nor  to 
the  heartlessness  of  fashionable  life  for  ideas  of  propriety. 
Let  the  intelligent,  watchful,  affectionate  mother,  with  the 
Bible  in  her  hand ;  with  the  lessons  of  experience  on  her  lips ; 
and  the  impulses  of  genuine  delicacy  in  her  heart :  let  her 
point  to  the  sources  of  healthful  knowledge,  and  weave 
into  her  daily  habits  the  elements  of  attractive  manners. 
Let  her  apply  all  the  spirituality  of  the  covenant  to  that 
daughter's  affections.  Let  her  gentle  persuasion  remove 
the  vanity,  the  love  of  display,  the  undue  curiosity  when- 
ever exhibited. 

The  faithful  mother  will  not  seek  to  annihilate  her  daugh- 
ter's  vivacity,  but  to  engage  it  for  delightful  services  of  the 
Saviour  ;  not  to  chill  the  warm  affections  of  the  mind,  but 
to  enlist  them  in  whatever  is  pure,  and  lovely,  and  of  good 
report.  She  will  impress  the  mind  of  the  daughter  with  the 
vast  importance  of  the  right  use  of  influence ;  explain  to 
her  the  nature  of  that  influence  which  she  will  exert ;  the 
exposures  to  which  her  powers  of  exciting  interest  will  lead 


ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS.  175 

her  ;  and  point  her  to  those  grand  and  elevating  purposes 
which  the  author  of  all  her  powers  commands  her  to  che- 
rish. 

She,  who  as  a  mother  sits  queen  amongst  a  circle  of 
daughters,  has  a  most  responsible  post ;  the  destinies  of 
coming  generations  are  domesticated  about  the  fireside ;  the 
interests  of  unborn  ages  lie  concealed  in  their  toys.  It  is 
the  mother's  province  to  revere  those  destinies,  and  to  guard 
these  interests  well.  What  motives  can  persuade  the  mother 
to  do  this  so  effectually  as  those  drawn  from  the  bosom  of 
the  everlasting  covenant  ?  What  other  truths  stamp  the 
domestic  influences  with  such  living  grandeur  ?  What 
other  sun  pours  around  that  hearth  such  radiance  of  glory  ? 
What  other  views  shed  such  imperial  beauty  on  the  future 
history  of  a  consecrated  and  pious  daughter  ? 

There  is  another  item  which  must  not  be  forgotten.  It 
is  peculiarly  in  her  power  to  instruct  all  her  children  on 
the  subject  of  forming  alliances  for  life.  These  instructions 
should  be  early  bestowed,  and  deeply  impressed.  Let  her 
remember  what  Rebecca  did  for  Jacob.  Let  her  remem- 
ber what  Esau  did  to  grieve  Isaac  and  Rebecca.  Let  her 
guard  her  young  group  against  all  the  devices  of  Satan  : 
instruct  them  into  the  nature  of  the  marriage  covenant,  show- 
ing them  what  amazing  interests  it  involves,  and  what  au- 
gust connections  it  originates  with  the  final  judgment.  Yet 
to  do  thus  she  must  understand  the  principles  of  the  cove- 
nant. She  must  know  how  that  covenant  pours  its  blessings 
on  the  godly  household  ;  how  it  admonishes,  in  all  past  his- 
tory of  the  Church,  the  believing  son  never  to  introduce  an 
enemy  of  God,  as  the  head  of  his  family ;  the  believ- 
ing daughter  never  to  put  all  her  earthly  interests  under 
the  protection  of  the  ungodly.  Let  her  remember  the 
story  of  the  flood  ;  of  heart-broken  Lot ;  of  wandering  Asa , 


176  ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS. 

of  miserable  Solomon  :  let  her  learn  the  story  of  her  own 
sex  in  all  ages,  when  the  power  has  been  in  the  hands  of 
the  unbeliever. 

Be  assured,  it  requires  strong  faith  in  the  covenant  of 
God,  for  a  mother,  as  the  mother  is  often  placed,  to  perform 
all  her  duty  here,  and  so  to  bear  the  case  before  the  throne, 
that  all  her  own  children  shall  be  prepared  to  profit  by 
these  warnings,  by  being  themselves  early  converted.  This 
is  a  consummation  which  God  does  often  vouchsafe  to  those 
parents  who  walk  in  all  the  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blame- 
less. This  is  a  result  which  the  covenant  has  provided  for 
those  in  whose  hearts  its  appropriate  faith  does  not  fail,  and 
its  appropriate  purpose  never  wavers. 

May  we  not,  in  view  of  the  peculiar  sphere  assigned  to 
the  mother,  again  appeal  to  that  covenant  whose  provisions 
are  adequate  to  all  the  necessities  of  her  state,  and  to  all 
the  approaches  of  a  correspondent  faith.  What  mother 
would  venture  into  that  sphere  without  taking  hold  of  the 
covenant  ? 

4.  This  faith  is  essential  to  the  mother,  on  account  of 
the  peculiar  liabilities  of  her  condition. 

It  is  oftener  the  lot  of  the  Christian  mother  to  be  asso- 
ciated with  an  impenitent  husband,  than  of  a  Christian  father 
with  an  impenitent  wife.  In  some  circumstances  this  connec- 
tion greatly  embarrasses  her  in  the  discharge  of  family  duty. 
It  may,  therefore,  generally  and  especially  be  said  of  a  Chris- 
tian woman,  that  she  needs  all  the  vigilance,  and  resolution, 
and  encouragement,  which  the  full  persuasion  of  covenant 
promises  can  give  her.  She  needs  it,  in  order  that,  in  the 
hour  of  temptation,  she  may  cast  all  her  care  upon  one  that 
is  mighty :  that,  when  trials  thicken,  she  may  gather  her 
loved  ones  under  its  wings :  that,  when  strength  and  heart 
faileth,  she  may  renew  them  both,  by  fresh  application  to 


ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS.  177 

her  abiding  place,  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.  The 
changes  of  home  come  to  her  with  a  louder  call  upon  her 
vigor,  and  create  a  keener  necessity  of  superhuman  aid. 

Suppose  her  widowed,  and  surrounded  with  a  group  of 
unconverted  sons.  The  father's  watchful  eye  and  guardian 
hand  no  more  restrain  them.  They  are  in  the  reckless- 
ness of  unmanageable  youth,  and  her  voice,  though  stronger 
in  virtuous  persuasion  than  another's,  yet  needs  to  be  sus- 
tained by  the  sterner  tones  of  the  father.  They  are  silent 
in  death.  O  then,  surely,  does  the  maternal  heart  need  to 
cling  closer  than  ever  to  the  Saviour,  and  lean  where  the 
beloved  disciple  leaned,  and  ask  her  questions,  with  all  the 
confidence  of  a  sustained  and  quiet  spirit.  See  yonder 
lonely  widow !  She  has  a  son  turbulent  and  unthankful ; 
and  though  young,  far  on  the  road  to  hell.  Every  night 
he  resorts  to  the  theatre,  spending  his  earnings  vilely ; 
while  she,  with  difficulty  living,  has  no  power  to  control 
him.  He  has  no  respect  for  himself  or  for  her.  There 
are  many  such  widows  in  Israel ;  and  what  but  a  spiritual 
faith  in  the  everlasting  covenant  can  furnish  full  consola- 
tion to  a  heart  so  deeply  wounded. 

Suppose  that  she  is  called,  not  thus  to  break  her  heart 
over  an  undutiful  son,  but  herself  to  bid  the  beloved  circle 
of  her  children  farewell ;  leaving  them,  perhaps,  in  the 
care  of  an  impenitent,  a  dissipated,  or  a  skeptical  father. 
Then,  with  what  energy  of  faith  does  she  need  to  embrace 
the  covenant,  if  she  would  say,  "  Now  lettest  thine  hand- 
maid depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  shall  see  thy  salva- 
tion." There  is  nothing  beside  this,  which  can  move  a 
Christian  mother  in  such  a  case,  so  that  she  may  rise  up 
to  the  full  dignity  of  her  spiritual  relations. 

Yet,  in  order  to  this,  in  both  the  cases  supposed,  there 
is  a  long  and  previous  action  of  this  faith  required.  It  is 
not  a  kind  of  faith  which  is  energetic,  because  roused  in 


178  ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS. 

some  terrible  crisis,  but  that  which,  by  the  uniform  tenor  of 
its  efficacy,  shall  rather  prevent  the  necessity  itself;  or, 
when  it  comes,  meet  it  with  the  calmness  of  conscious 
strength,  and  triumph  without  extraordinary  exertion. 
Happy  indeed  is  that  mother  who  so  wisely  and  constantly 
labors  for  the  immediate  conversion  of  her  children,  that 
no  evil  day  shall  take  her  unawares.  For  this  she  needs 
the  utmost  fulness  of  the  promise  ;  she  must  have  this  faith, 
of  which  we  speak,  to  herself  and  before  God.  She  can- 
not in  those  cases  rise  to  all  a  mother's  moral  greatness 
without  it. 

Suppose  her  affected  by  another  change.  She  is  about 
to  behold  her  sons  pass  out  from  her  immediate  control. 
They  are  to  enter  the  public  school,  to  press  forward  in  the 
bustle  and  activities  of  business,  to  go  forth  amidst  the 
spirits  of  this  world,  amidst  its  fascinations  and  perils.  Her 
eye  cannot  be  upon  them,  but  her  heart  throbs  with  pain- 
ful emotions.  Then,  again,  she  even  fainteth,  to  rest  her- 
self, like  the  sparrow,  by  the  altars  of  her  God.  She  must 
strengthen  herself  for  the  watchings  of  faith,  by  feasting 
upon  the  truths  of  that  perpetual  covenant.  It  will  be  well 
for  her  then  if  she  can  say,  "  Lord,  thou  knowest  I  have 
consecrated  them  to  thee ;  that  from  day  to  day  I  have 
borne  them  on  my  heart ;  that  I  have  held  fast  mine  in- 
tegrity before  them  ;  I  have  trusted  in  thy  word."  It 
should  be  the  resolve  of  every  mother  so  to  live,  that  when 
a  son  of  hers  passes  out  from  her  presence,  amidst  spiritu- 
ally perilous  scenes,  he  may  go  forth  an  heir  of  the  per- 
sonal promise  of  unchanging  grace.  Not  till  the  evidence 
of  this  is  seen  should  her  heart  give  over. 

The  mother  of  Augustine  did  right  when  she  implored 
the  bishop  -to  exert  himself  to  save  her  son,  until  he  impa. 
tieutly  exclaimed,  "  Begone,  woman !  the  son  of  such 
prayers  and  tears  can  never  be  lost !"    She  had  reason  for 


ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS.  179 

this  anxiety,  and  it  was  this  very  union  of  solicitude  with 
importuning  faith,  which  constrained  her  to  plead,  and 
which  brought  the  blessing. 

That  mother  did  right  who,  when  her  son  would  go  to 
the  public  ball,  told  him  that  while  he  was  there  she  should 
spend  the  whole  time  in  prayer  for  his  soul.  It  was  the 
earnest  action  of  sincere  faith ;  and  God,  who  looks  at  the 
heart,  honored  it  as  such,  in  manifesting  his  converting 
grace  amidst  the  scenes  of  mirth,  and  in  returning  to  her  a 
penitent  son. 

When  the  maternal  soul,  under  the  impulse  of  such  de- 
termined faith,  can  take  fast  hold  of  the  promise,  there  is  a 
sublime  energy  in  its  movements  on  moral  subjects,  analo- 
gous to  that  which  it  oft  times  exhibits  when  roused  by  the 
call  of  temporal  necessity,  or  of  pressing  danger.  Often 
does  the  historic  page  cause  our  hearts  to  thrill  with  tales 
of  lofty  daring,  and  more  than  masculine  prowess,  to  which 
the  roused  soul  of  woman  hath  risen  in  the  pressure  of  some 
terrible  crisis.  These  instances  are  not  confined  to  that 
portion  of  mankind  who  win  the  renown  of  history.  They 
are  constantly  occurring  in  the  ordinary  ranks  of  life.  A 
poor  woman,  whose  little  son  had  fallen  into  a  deep  well, 
which  was  considered  very  difficult  of  descent,  even  for 
the  most  experienced  foot,  saw  him  rise  to  the  surface  of 
the  water,  and  felt  that  he  must  be  saved  then  or  never* 
Regardless  of  life,  of  danger,  of  all  things  but  her  child,  she 
went  down  to  the  water  cautiously-— rapidly — caught  her 
child— and  up  the  perilous  foot-holds  of  the  well,  bearing 
him  in  her  arms,  she  ascended  with  safety  and  in  triumph. 
How  she  did  this  she  knew  not ;  it  was  the  rapid  and  won- 
drous exertion  of  a  human  spirit  when  all  its  marvellous 
capacities  were  concentrated  to  one  point,  and  borne  forth 
into  a  sublimity  of  execution  surpassing  its  own  comprehen- 
sion in  successive  and  calmer  moments. 


180  ADDRESS   TO   PARENTS. 

There  are  perils  of  a  moral  nature,  when  the  mother's 
heart  must  be  awakened  to  analogous  action,  or  in  the  deep 
pit  of  sin  the  child  will  be  lost.  Thanks  be  to  God,  that  in 
his  gracious  covenant  he  has  made  adequate  provision  for 
the  loftiest  movements  of  parental  faith.  The  soul  which 
will  trust  and  obey  that  covenant  promise  may  venture- 
how  far  ?  he  hath  not  said — he  hath  appointed  no  bounds— 
but  this  he  hath  said,  "  When  thou  passest  through  the  wa- 
ters I  will  le  with  thee  ;  and  through  the  rivers^  they  shall 
not  overflow  thee  :  when  thou  walkest  through  thejlre,  thou 
shalt  not  behurned;  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee. 
I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee  /"  Thousands  of 
mothers,  in  all  ages,  have  tried  these  promises,  and  have 
never  found  them  to  fail ;  they  trusted  in  the  everlasting 
covenant,  and  sung  of  its  glory.  The  Elizabeths  and  Ma- 
rys of  other  days  have  exchanged  their  glad  salutation,  and 
mutually  exclaimed,  "  Blessed  is  she  that  believed,  for  there 
shall  be  a  performance  of  those  things  which  were  told  her 
from  the  Lord." 

The  considerations  on  which  we  have  dwelt  in  this  ad- 
dress, have  sustained,  we  trust,  the  main  sentiment  which 
it  presents,  an  intelligent  and  spiritual  faith  in  the  Abra» 
hamic  covenant  essential  to  the  perfection  of  the  parental 
character. 

If  this  sentiment  is  true,  it  ought  to  be  felt. 
It  should  be  felt  by  all  those  parents  who  treat  the  conse- 
cration of  children  as  chiefly  a  thing  of  fashion  and  display. 
It  is  painfully  true  that  many  parents  who  present  their 
children  for  baptism,  seem  to  be  influenced  by  no  higher 
considerations.  The  beauty  of  the  child,  the  elegance  of 
its  dress,  the  public  annunciation  of  its  name,  the  compli- 
ance  with  ecclesiastical  fashion,  occupy  the  thoughts,  first, 
midst,  and  always.  These  motives  might  influence  an  infidel 
to  present  his  child,  and  do  influence  many  nominal  Chris- 


ADDRESS    TO   PARENTS.  181 

tians.  Were  the  principles  of  the  covenant  fully  wrought 
into  the  parental  mind  and  heart,  they  would  forbid  such 
unhallowed  profanation ;  they  would  banish  such  ridiculous 
and  unworthy  motives  ;  they  would  consume  them  by  the 
intense  flame  of  consecrating  faith. 

It  should  he  felt  hy  all  those  parents  who  are  influenced 
to  olserve  it  by  feelings  of  superstition.  There  are  many 
parents  who,  if  a  child  is  dangerously  sick,  will  be  anxious 
to  have  it  baptized,  and  yet  never  think  of  assuming  the 
obligations  which  this  ordinance  enforces.  If  the  minister 
will  baptize  it,  they  think  that  all  is  well.  They  do  not 
pretend  to  exercise  any  faith  themselves,  nor  feel  disposed 
to'perform,  in  any  respect,  the  conditions  of  the  covenant. 
They  have  no  spiritual  apprehension  of  the  Abrahamic 
promise.  Were  the  promise  and  terms  of  that  covenant 
fully  before  them,  they  would  not  dare  to  have  the  sacred 
seal  affixed  while  they  had  no  penitence  or  faith  themselves. 
Were  this  subject  to  be  presented,  with  all  its  claims,  to 
parents  in  such  a  state  of  mind,  it  might  produce  very  pun- 
gent convictions  of  sin,  and  lead  them  to  tremble  under  the 
charge  of  withholding  their  own  soul  from  the  God  to  whom 
they  in  infancy  were  devoted,  and  of  voluntarily  placing  an 
insuperable  obstacle  in  the'way  of  their  children's  consecra- 
tion. Then  it  would  no  more  seem  like  a  superstitious  rite, 
but  it  would  speak  in  their  heart  like  the  voice  of  God  pleading 
in  tones  of  mercy  and  of  admonition,  both  for  them  and  theirs. 

It  is  essentially  important  that  parents  in  our  large  cities 
should  feel  the  sentiment  of  this  address. 

You  know  the  peculiar  temptations  of  the  city.  You 
mourn  and  tremble  when  you  consider  the  exposures  of 
your  beloved  children.  You  often  feel  as  if,  like  Lot,  you 
must  gather  all  the  members  of  your  household  together, 
and  make  haste  away.  All  around  us  is  a  vast  wilderness 
of  mind,  dark,  apostate,  ruined.    Deadly  serpents  are  coiled ; 

16 


182  ADbRESS  to  pAreJJTS. 

poisonous  waters  stagnate  ;  beasts  of  prey  devour,  in  these 
moral  marshes.  O,  if  any  where  the  strength,  authority, 
and  tenderness  of  the  parental  character  should  be  fuliy  de- 
veloped, it  is  needful  here  and  now.  If  any  where  the  father 
should  exert  all  a  father's  rights,  and  perform  all  a  father's 
duty,  and  put  the  glowing  presence  of  all  a  father's  watch- 
fulness about  every  domestic  interest,  it  is  here.  If  ever, 
or  any  where,  the  maternal  character  should  shed  its  most 
hallowed  purity  around  the  infant  heart,  should  mingle  its 
most  transmuting  energy  among  the  follies  of  childhood, 
should  extend  its  strongest,  most  constraining  influence  over 
the  passions  of  youth,  it  is  here.  Look  around  the  walls 
of  Zion.  See  the  vast  throng  of  her  consecrated  yet  im- 
penitent youth  suspended  over  the  bottomless  gulf.  Cords 
of  the  sanctuary  hold  them.  Restraints  of  Providence 
hold  them.  There  is  an  arm  put  forth  ;  it  grasps  with 
the  energy  of  maternal  love  the  cords  of  the  covenant ;  it 
is  beautiful  and  slender  ;  but  God  hath  made  it  strong.— 
Let  the  arm  of  the  father  be  stretched  forth  by  its  side. 
Let  the  strong  grasp  of  combined  and  perpetual  parental 
character  take  hold  of  those  covenant  cords,  and  through 
them  take  hold  of  those  unwavering  interests  to  which  God 
hath  fastened  them. 

It  should  befett  throughout  the  Church  of  God,  because 
it  will  fire  his  people  with  holy  zeal  to  extend  the  benefits  of 
the  covenant  to  all  the  families  of  the  earth. 

Extend  it  through  this  city.  Let  this  faith  in  the  cove- 
nant seek  the  immediate  conversion  of  the  heads  of  families 
among  us.  Gain  every  Christian,  and  father,  and  mother, 
into  the  practical  belief  of  these  truths*  Enlist  them  into 
full  confidence  in  the  covenant  promise,  and  sincere  per- 
formance of  the  covenant  pledge.  Appeal  to  every  impeni* 
tent  father  and  mother.  Hold  up  this  covenant !  Cry  aloudj 
*'  Incline  your  ear,  and  come  unto  me ;  heart  and  your  soul 


ADDRESS   TO    PARENTS.  183 

shall  live :  and  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
you,  even  the  sure  mercies  of  David.  ^^  Tell  them  what  the 
sure  mercies  are.  Repeat  the  great  Abrahamlc  promise  ; 
point  to  the  faithfulness  of  a  covenant-keeping  God.  Make 
every  father  and  mother  the  full,  explicit,  glorious  proposal, 
"  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  he  saved, 
and  thy  house."  Do  not  forget  the  last  three  words.  Let 
your  hearts  thrill  under  the  overwhelming  interests  which 
they  include.  Press  them,  in  all  their  original  emphasis, 
on  the  impenitent  heart.  Give  them  the  additional  emphasis 
which  the  tremendous  circumstances  of  a  city  population 
require.  Rest  not — give  Him  no  rest — ye  that  sigh  for 
the  abominations  that  are  done  in  our  midst — until  the  An- 
gel of  Israel  s'aall  rejoice  over  one  great  city ;  through 
whose  long  crowded  streets,  on  every  door-post,  shall  shine. 
The  blood  of  the  covenant. 

Remember  the  many  consecrated  children  which  have 
come  away  from  the  care  of  Churches  in  our  country, 
from  the  guardianship  of  pious  homes,  from  the  watchful- 
ness of  covenant-trusting  parents,  to  enter  into  the  business, 
to  conquer  or  eternally  die,  amidst  the  temptations  of  the 
city.  The  blood  of  many  such  hath  already  stained  our 
streets.  The  young  budding  plants  of  covenant  cultivation 
have  withered  rapidly  and  mournfully,  under  the  moral  in- 
fluence which  here  assailed  them.  Search  out  the  early 
history  of  the  young,  whom  you  behold,  from  week  to  week, 
approaching  this  vortex.  Receive  them  to  your  compas- 
sion, your  friendship,  your  watchfulness,  your  Christian 
privileges,  and  your  promise-pleading  prayer.  The  cords 
of  consecration  in  the  city  must  be  joined  with  those  of  the 
country.  As  the  worldly  business,  intercourse,  and  influ^ 
ences  of  both  amalgamate,  so  must  the  prayers,  the  endea- 
vors, the  strong,  enduring  faith  of  the  Church,  throughout 
our  cities  and  our  towns,  be  speedily  united.     Pledge  must 


184  ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS. 

extend  to  pledge ;  promise  woven  in  with  promise ;  prayer 
responded  in  associate  prayer,  until  the  presence  of  cove- 
nant principles  shall  be,  upon  our  intermingling  nation,  uni- 
versal, like  the  air  we  breathe  ;  and  communicative,  as  our 
country's  waters. 

We  said  that  this  faith  would  fire  the  people  of  God 
with  holy  zeal,  to  extend  the  covenant  blessings  to  all  the 
families  of  the  earth.  The  Christian  who  rejoices  in  the 
experience  of  the  promise,  in  his  own  household,  will  gaze 
with  pain  on  the  spiritual  desolation  which  reigns  in  the 
house  of  the  wicked.  The  motives  drawn  from  this  gra- 
cious constitution  of  mercy  are  calculated  to  raise  all  the 
sensibility  of  the  soul.  They  will  present  before  him  the 
unevangelized  portions  of  mankind,  with  all  their  compli- 
cated woes,  weighed  down  under  the  pressure  of  hereditary 
and  debasing  superstition.  The  burden  of  falsehood  and 
shame  is  going  down  with  unbroken  force  upon  successive 
generations.  Like  the  wheels  of  Juggernaut,  it  crushes 
where  it  rolls.  He  reads  in  the  precious  book,  that  the 
ample  provisions  of  grace  are  designed  for  them  as  well  as 
him.  Will  he  not  feel  his  whole  soul  stirred  within  him  to 
carry  these  provisions  to  them,  to  tell  them  of  their  value, 
to  urge  them  upon  their  acceptance  ;  beseeching  them,  with 
strong  crying  and  tears,  not  to  receive  the  grace  of  God  in 
vain.  This  subject  has  not  yet  been  brought  to  bear  on 
the  cause  of  the  world's  conversion,  as  it  will  be.  Some 
{ew  noble  spirits,  however,  have  been  prompted  by  its  ele- 
vating impulse.  Having  experienced  the  power  of  the 
covenant  in  their  own  souls,  they  have  gone  forth  among 
tlie  heathen,  impelled  by  its  motives,  cheered  by  its  pro- 
mises, and  governed  by  its  principles. 


O'er  pagan  realms,  long  seal'd  in  fearful  sleep, 
O  why  did  Mills  and  toil-worn  Martin  weep  % 


ADDRESS    TO    PARENTS.  185 

They  heard  and  felt,  as  we  should  feel,  the  cry 
Of  hopeless  millions,  as  it  rose  on  hio^h : 
Heard  the  pale  infant's  faint,  expiring  scream ; 
Saw  the  wild  mother  in  her  frenzied  dream 
Of  coming  joy,  self-martyr'd,  clasp  the  stake, 
Hug  the  cold  corpse,  and  perish  for  his  sake  ! 
For  them  these  youths  life's  deepest  sorrows  bore. 
And  long'd,  in  death,  to  make  one  struggle  more  : 
For  them  this  last  warm,  dying  prayer  they  gave, 
"  O  God,  redeem  !  O  God,  look  down  and  save  !" 

O,  could  the  Churches  of  Jesus  Christ  once  be  tho- 
roughly  roused  to  comprehend  the  bearings  of  this  faith  on 
the  world's  conversion !  could  they  first  consecrate  their 
offspring  to  this  great  work  !  could  they  realize  the  over- 
whelming importance  of  shedding  these  truths  amongst  poor 
heathen  families ;  of  breaking  away  the  habits  of  many 
ages ;  of  setting  a  course  of  generations  into  the  channel 
of  the  covenant  in  every  pagan  land,  and  in  all  lands,  they 
would  then  begin  to  comprehend  what  is  the  height,  and 
breadth,  and  length,  and  depth  of  that  promise,  In  thee  shall 
all  the  families  of  the  earth  he  blessed! 


W 


THE  PRAYER  OF  HABAKKUK, 

OR  CONSOLATIONS  OF  THE  COVENANT. 

The  attentive  student  of  the  third  chapter  of  Habakkuk, 
cannot  fail  to  perceive  in  its  whole  train  of  thought  a  living 
faith  in  the  Abrahamic  covenant.  Having  just  been  called  to 
utter  the  most  fearful  divine  denunciations  against  Israel,  and 
oppressed  with  the  certainty  of  their  long  Babylonian  captivity, 
he  seems  to  have  taken  up  his  harp,  and,  as  the  ancient  wonders 
which  a  covenant-keeping  God  had  wrought  for  the  Church 
rushed  to  mind,  his  soul  was  borne  upward  from  the  deepest  de- 
pression to  the  strongest  confidence,  and  even  to  adoring  rap- 
ture. Believing  that  it  is  a  precious  specimen  of  the  sustain- 
ing power  of  covenant-faith,  amidst  severest  trials,  I  have 
thought  that  a  paraphrase,  which  should  somewhat  elucidate  its 
obscurer  phrases,  might  be  at  once  animating  and  instructive 
to  every  believer  in  the  covenant.  The  reader  will  find  it  profit- 
able to  spread  the  prophecy  before  him,  and  compare  its  indivi- 
dual verses,  with  those  of  the  paraphrase,  according  to  their 
respective  numbers. 

1. 

A  prayer  of  Habakkuk,  the  prophet,  upon  Shigionoth. 


O  Lord,  I  heard,  and  as  thy  speech  distill'd, 
My  listening  soul  with  thoughts  of  terror  thrill'd  ; 
Though  Israel's  harp,  unhonor'd  and  unstrung. 
Shall  long  o'er  Babel's  willow'd  streams  be  hung, 
Yet,  when  thy  wrath  our  tribes  shall  captive  lead, 
'Mid  those  dark  years  let  mercy  intercede  ; 
Make  known  thy  power,  that  thy  flock  may  thrive 
Amidst  those  years,  O  Lord,  thy  work  revive  ! 


PRAYER   OF    HABAKKUK.  187 

3. 

From  Paran's  wilds,  and  Edom's  rocky  shore, 
Where  the  proud  surges  of  the  Red  Sea  roar, 
Where  Sinai,  based  on  Teman's  granite  breast. 
Rears  to  the  sky  his  thunder-blasted  crest. 
Where  Horeb  towers  untrod  by  mortal  man. 
The  holy  God  his  glorious  march  began  ; 
On  Sinai's  brow  he  fix'd  his  burning  throne  : 
Earth  teem'd  with  praise,  and  heaven  with  glory  shone  '. 

4,  5. 

What  robes  of  splendor  o'er  that  scene  were  cast, 
The  lightning's  flash,  the  trump's  tremendous  blast, 
The  trembling  tribes  that  heard  the  voice  of  God, 
The  quaking  mount,  for  there  Jehovah  trod, 
And  there  his  fiery  law  engraved  on  stone. 
Treasured  the  might  of  Israel's  holy  One. 
There  was  the  ark  of  God  to  Jacob  given, 
There  round  their  camp  was  shed  the  light  of  heaven, 
Then  quail'd  each  foe,  death  struck  before  his  ire, 
Whose  van  was  pestilence,  whose  rear  was  fire  ! 

6. 

He  stood  ;  and  measured  for  that  wond'rous  host, 
Canaan,  thy  realms  !  against  him  who  can  boast ! 
Onward  they  march'd,  that  promise-shielded  flock, 
While  to  their  deep  foundations  wildly  rock 
Earth's  everlasting  mountains  !  who  can  stay 
The  march  of  God  !  eternal  is  his  way  ! 

7. 

When  his  keen  sword  o'er  wolfish  Amalek  gleam'd. 
When  Heshbon  fell,  when  Bashan's  life-blood  stream'd, 
I  saw  surrounding  realms  and  tyrants  quail, 
Saw  Ethiopia  shake  ;  his  tents  were  frail : 
Midian's  light  curtains  quiver'd  as  they  past. 
And  wild  Arabia  hark'd  at  every  blast  ! 

8,  9,  10. 

Nature's  free  elements,  to  form  their  path, 
Became  their  slaves.     Jehovah !  was  thy  wrath 


188  PRAYER   OF   HABAKKUK. 

Against  that  rifted  sea,  or  Jordan's  flood, 
Or  Egypt's  fertile  waters  turn'^  to  blood  1 
And  wast  thou  angry  with  the  rivers  1     No ; 
The  time  predestined  came  :  thy  uncased  bow 
Wrought  for  thy  people.     'Twas  salvation  gave 
Egypt  to  blood,  and  Pharaoh  to  the  wave  ! 
'Twas  for  thy  word,  with  oaths  unchanging  seal'd, 
The  floods  of  earth  were  cleft ;  the  mountains  reel'd. 
For  this  the  overflowing  of  the  stream  pass'd  by. 
And  the  deep  lifted  up  his  voice  and  hands  on  high. 

11. 

Earth  bow'd,  but  not  alone.     Heaven  knows  thy  will, 
Through  all  his  orbs  :  the  sun  and  moon  stood  still 
In  their  eternal  mansions,  or  rolled  on  ; 
Hid  their  bright  beams,  or  else  refulgent  shone, 
To  fill  thy  saints  with  joy,  thy  foes  with  fear. 
Like  thine  own  arrows,  and  thy  glittering  spear ! 

12,  13,  14,  15. 

Then  sail'd  thine  ark,  O  God,  in  Canaan's  gore  : 
Her  tribes  the  sheaves,  her  land  the  threshing  floor  ! 
Tremendous  "  march''  beneath  thine  angry  tread  : 
Those  realms  of  crime,  like  groaning  Egypt,  bled 
When  from  her  iron  grasp  thy  son  was  saved, 
When  thine  own  rod,  by  hands  anointed  waved, 
Its  withering  curse  o'er  cot  and  palace  flung  ; 
Till  the  death-wail  of  every  household  rung. 
Till  the  long  shriek  of  agony  had  burst 
Through  all  his  villages  :  then  when  the  accursed, 
Steel-hearted  monarch,  like  a  whirlwind,  rush'd 
Fierce  on  thy  feeble  saints,  his  power  was  crush'd, 
Thou  ledst  thy  horses  through  the  dark  Red  Sea, 
That  monarch  perish'd,  and  thy  flock  was  free  ! 

16. 

When  first,  O  God,  thy  fearful  warning  came 
Of  Israel's  long  captivity  and  shame, 
Terror  ran  through  my  frame  ;   my  faltering  lip 
Quiver'd  to  tell  how  holy  blood  must  drip 
From  all  Judea's  altars — every  bone 
Drank  the  cantation,  till  with  deepest  groan 


PRATfER   OF    HABAKKTJK.  189 

My  trembling-,  fainting  soul  essay'd  to  pray 

For  strength  and  rest  in  that  avenging  day, 

When  proud  Chaldea  shall  thy  flock  invade, 

And  all  his  cruel  troops  through  Zion's  blood  shall  wade. 

17,  18,  19. 

But  thou  art  God  !  thy  hand  will  still  restrain ; 
Those  ancient  wonders  were  not  wrought  in  vain ; 
Strong  is  thy  covenant  !  though  thy  judgments  come, 
Firm  are  my  hopes,  and  all  my  murmurings  dumb. 
Although  the  fig-tree  shall  no  blossom  wear. 
And  green,  luxuriant  vines  no  fruit  shall  bear  ; 
Though  each  bright  olive  grove  in  mockery  shine, 
Though  every  field  in  withering  want  shall  pine, 
Though  all  our  flocks  shall  perish  from  the  fold, 
And  not  a  stall  its  wonted  herd  shall  hold. 
Still  shall  Jehovah's  praise  my  tongue  employ, 
And  God,  my  Saviour,  fill  my  soul  with  joy. 
Jehovah  !  covenant  God  I  my  strength,  my  rock, 
'Mid  dangerous  paths  my  soul  shall  safely  walk : 
Climb,  like  the  hind,  still  guarded  by  thy  rod, 
And  shout  exulting  on  the  hills  of  God  ! 


190  THE  ALTAR  OF   CONSECRATION. 


THE  ALTAR  OF  CONSECRATION. 

God  of  salvation,  we  rear  thee  this  altar  ! 

Awake  !  and  upon  it  thy  glory  record  ; 
Here  may  the  faith  of  thy  saints  never  falter 

While  they  their  dear  children  devote  to  the  Lord. 

Joy  to  the  parent !  thy  Saviour  will  shield  thee, 
And  cause  thee  to  rest  with  thy  lambs  in  his  fold  ; 

Here  shall  the  Spirit  that  wash'd  thee  and  seal'd  thee, 
His  seal  on  thy  loved  ones  in  mercy  behold. 

Altar  of  Jesus,  what  thousands  surround  thee. 
What  ages  of  glory  upon  thee  shall  rest ; 

True  to  thy  trust  have  the  saints  ever  found  thee  ; 
The  home  that  hath  own'd  thee  hath  ever  been  blest. 

Firm  as  of  old,  thou  shalt  not  be  demolish'd 
Till  nature's  great  temple  retains  not  a  stone ; 

Till,  built  of  the  stones  which  his  Spirit  hath  polish'd, 
God's  temple  shall  shine  'midst  the  blaze  of  his  throne 


THE   CONSECRATION.  191 


THE  CONSECRATION. 

God  of  the  cross,  this  heart  is  thine  ! 
Thou  knowest  that  closet's  secret  shrine  ; 
Where,  when  no  eye  but  thine  could  see, 
I  wept  and  gave  it  all  to  thee. 
Sweet  hour  of  mercy  !  sacred  spot ! 
And  shall  that  closet  be  forgot  1 
Its  pardoning  smile,  its  secret  shrine  ? 
Never  while  beats  this  heart  of  mine. 

God  of  the  cross,  this  life  is  thine  ! 
Thou  knowest  that  temple's  glorious  shrine, 
Where,  e'en  while  men  and  angels  bow'd, 
Thy  suppliant  child  sincerely  vow'd, 
And  shall  that  altar  be  forgot  ] 
Never,  in  deed,  or  word,  or  thought ; 
But  oft  before  that  glorious  shrine 
Renew'd  shall  be  that  vow  of  mine. 

Blest  was  the  hour,  and  sweet  the  vow, 
Serenely  on  this  throbbing  brow 
Fell  the  pure  water-emblem  true. 
Of  Saviour's  blood  and  Spirit's  dew-^ — 
Pledge  that  through  all  this  dangerous  race 
Mine,  mine  shall  be  thy  conquering  grace- 
Pledge  that  through  sin  and  passion's  strife, 
Thine,  thine  shall  be  my  heart  and  life. 


192  TO    A    CONSECRATED    YOUTH. 


TO  A  CONSECRATED  YOUTH. 

Though  pleasure's  soft  whisper  fall  sweet  on  thine  ear, 
And  young  fancy's  bliss-lighted  visions  appear, 
Though  thou  hearest  the  music  which  youth  loves  to  hear, 

O  give  not  thy  heart. 

Though  wealth  should  allure  thee  to  kneel  at  his  shrine, 
With  gifts  of  the  ocean  and  gifts  of  the  mine, 
Though  round  thee  his  splendors  should  brilliantly  shine, 

O  give  not  thy  heart. 

Though  glory  hath  spread  his  pavilion  on  high. 
And  his  rainbow-gilt  temples  e'en  dazzle  thine  eye, 
Though  thou  deemest  his  breast  never  rent  with  a  sigh, 

O  give  not  thy  heart. 

But  when  the  kind  voice  of  Emanuel  pleads. 

From  the  throne  where  he  reigns,  or  the  cross  where  he  bleeds, 

Haste  thee  and  list !  'tis  thy  God  intercedes  : 

O  give  him  thy  heart. 


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